The Philadelphia Department of Revenue is warning residents about a wave of fraudulent text messages impersonating the agency and attempting to steal personal banking information.
Officials said the scam texts claim to come from the Department of Revenue and direct recipients to click on a malicious link related to a “refund petition.” The messages then ask for sensitive banking details.
The city stressed that the Department of Revenue will never request personal or financial information, including bank account details, through text messages.
“Do not click on any links, reply, or provide personal information,” the department said in a statement. “Report any suspicious texts as spam and delete them immediately.”
Authorities said there is no evidence city databases have been breached, and officials have emphasized that taxpayer data remains secure.
Residents who believe they may have shared personal or financial information are urged to contact the FBI at 215-418-4000, report online at tips.fbi.gov, or file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
The Department of Revenue also encouraged residents to remain vigilant against phishing scams by being skeptical of unsolicited requests for sensitive information; only trusting official websites ending in phila.gov; and reporting suspicious activity to the proper agencies.
More information about identifying and avoiding phishing scams is available on the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s website.
The department said the scam messages were first reported in Philadelphia on Monday, Sept. 15.
