California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a warning to residents about ongoing text-based scams targeting taxpayers. The fraudulent messages claim to be from the State of California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and request personal information under the pretense of processing tax refunds.
Attorney General Bonta said, “Californians: Be on alert for texts from seemingly official government agencies that seem fishy — they might indeed be phishing scams designed to trick you out of your hard-earned money. Bad actors are getting more sophisticated and show little signs of slowing. I urge Californians to not click on links in texts asking consumers for personal information, visit only official websites, and talk to friends and family who may be unaware of these dangers.”
State Controller and FTB Chair Malia M. Cohen also commented on the issue: “Sadly, FTB and other California agencies constantly battle bad actors attempting to steal your money. These scammers may impersonate tax agency representatives to steal your personal information. If you ever have doubts about the authenticity of a text, email, or phone call claiming to be from FTB, IRS, or any other government agency, contact the agency directly to verify whether there’s an issue that requires your attention.”
The FTB recommends not replying to suspicious text messages or clicking on links or attachments if there is uncertainty about their legitimacy. Verification should be done by contacting the agency directly through official channels. More details about how and when FTB communicates via text can be found at their text messaging page.
Scammers use various tactics including fake phone calls where they pretend to represent tax authorities like the IRS or FTB. They often employ threats such as arrest or deportation unless immediate payment is made and sometimes use spoofed caller IDs or real officials’ names. The public is reminded that legitimate agencies will not demand payment over the phone nor threaten legal action in exchange for immediate payment.
Phishing emails are another common method used by scammers, with messages appearing to come from tax agencies asking for payments or personal information via links leading to counterfeit websites.
Identity theft related to stolen refunds is also a concern; criminals file false returns using stolen data before legitimate taxpayers can file theirs.
Officials advise never sharing sensitive information with unknown contacts and being skeptical of unsolicited communications requesting payment through unconventional means such as gift cards or wire transfers. Residents are encouraged to hang up immediately if they suspect a scam call since legitimate agencies generally reach out first by mail.
To protect themselves further, individuals should use strong passwords when filing taxes online—comprising at least eight characters with letters, numbers, and symbols—and avoid signing blank tax forms provided by preparers.
If someone suspects they have been targeted by a scam or suffered losses due to fraud, it is recommended they report incidents directly to both the Internal Revenue Service and California Franchise Tax Board. Additional resources on identifying and reporting scams are available at oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/taxes.
