The call you just received might sound even more like an IRS agent, thanks to artificial intelligence. And the text you just got about a so-called “tariff refund” might look real because, frankly, who’s going to argue with free money when prices at the pump are soaring above $4 a gallon?
Even so, step back, breathe and remember that scammers go into high gear during tax season. Robocalls sound realistic, as more scammers use computer-generated tactics and fake caller IDs to make you think the Internal Revenue Service is on the line.
And the phony texts, well, they’re frankly endless.
Scammers, much like the writers of “Law & Order” back in the day, know how to weave a story that’s ripped from the headlines. And taxes and tariffs are in the headlines.
When will I get a tariff refund check?
No one is sending out tariff refund checks to consumers right now. And it’s highly possible that individuals will never see them. But we are hearing about proposals for tariff-related relief.
A “tariff refund” of $600 for individuals or $1,200 for a married couple filing jointly, plus $600 for each qualifying dependent child is part of a bill called the “Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act” introduced in March by Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat from New Mexico.
The refund would not be available for higher income households — or those whose adjusted gross income exceeds $180,000 on a joint return; $120,000 in the case of a head of household, and $90,000 for a single taxpayer.
In February, a split U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump’s use of a 1977 law, known as International Emergency Economic Powers Act, to unilaterally impose tariffs on goods imported from a wide range of countries.
Garrett Watson, director of policy analysis for the Tax Foundation, cautions consumers that such refunds might not become reality, as we’re not seeing much political momentum “given the fiscal situation of the country and the legal precarity of the underlying tariff regime.”
Yet that isn’t stopping the scammers from sending texts and emails connected to some promises for a so-called “tariff refund” or “tariff dividend,” warned Teresa Murray, who directs the Consumer Watchdog office for U.S. PIRG, a nonprofit advocacy group.
Murray noted that the tariff refund scams work in a variety of ways. First, you might respond to a text, email or phone call and be asked to provide a mailing address so that the tariff refund check can be sent to you.
A good clue: The federal government is moving away from issuing paper checks. So why would they need your address again? The U.S. Treasury Department isn’t direct messaging you, texting or emailing about tariff refund checks.
Once the scammers mail you a check, you’ll deposit it — and then the crooks will ask you to send some cash back for a “processing fee.” Really? If you send money, you’ve lost cash out of your own pocket. The so-called “tariff” check will bounce and you’re not receiving any money from it.
Or maybe you’ll get a text that claims you need to click here to sign up for a tariff refund. You might be directed to a fake website and then hand over personal information or bank account information for a supposed direct deposit. And the crooks now potentially have access to your bank account.
Murray warns that many times the promise of a large tariff refund check starts out with claiming that you’d need to pay some kind of upfront fee to get a claim processed.
Some of these scams use the term “government inflation check” or “relief check.” Same thing, it’s a fake promise for $2,000 or more that you’ll never see — and a way for crooks to steal your bank account information and your cash.
Many times, fraudsters will urge you to act quickly so you don’t miss out on the rebate cash or dividend. Best bet: Do more research. Don’t deposit suspicious checks. Don’t send back any cash. Don’t pay cash upfront for any so-called processing fees.
Last summer and fall, as U.S. tariffs surged, the scammers blamed tariff woes for delays on items that consumers bought online. Consumers, according to a Better Business Bureau warning, saw some attractive items or prices for goods advertised on Instagram, Facebook and other social media sites. But they ended up being directed to fake websites, which admittedly appeared legitimate.
Orders never arrived and when consumers did get a response to their complaints, the scammers blamed “Trump tariffs.” They might claim the item was stuck in customs or somewhere on a cargo ship. The crooks often asked for even more money for “tariff fee” after the purchase was delayed.
What are the hot tax scams in 2026?
The Internal Revenue Service is alerting taxpayers once again that crooks have no trouble impersonating the IRS by email and text and direct messages. In fiscal year 2025 alone, the IRS discovered some 600 tax-related social media impersonators.
The con artists, according to the IRS, often are using alarming language and QR codes that direct taxpayers to fake IRS websites to “verify” accounts, enter personal information, or claim refunds.
“The IRS urges taxpayers not to click links or open attachments from unexpected messages and to report suspicious IRS-related emails, DMs, and texts,” according to an IRS alert.
Never click on any unsolicited communication claiming to be from the IRS. If you do so, the IRS warns, you may end up installing malware software, including ransomware, on your personal device, potentially preventing access to your files or personal information.
Remember, the scammers can be far more convincing than they were even five years ago, thanks to artificial intelligence tools and long list of hacking incidents that have already exposed your personal data. Phone scams continue to evolve and appear more believable.
The IRS states that the agency “generally contacts taxpayers by mail first and does not leave urgent, threatening prerecorded messages, call to demand immediate payment, or threaten arrest.”
Taxpayer, beware. The scammers know our stories — and they’re ready to steal our cash playing up to either what we want to hear or what we fear.
Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on X @tompor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alerts about tariff refund checks aren’t the real deal: It’s a scam
Reporting by Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
