The IRS urges taxpayers to beware of fake calls to return money from tax return refund checks that have been deposited in error into bank accounts. Scammers either pretend to be collection agency employees or use a recorded message threatening people to return the refund. These scammers have already filed fraudulent tax returns and used the taxpayers’ real bank accounts for the deposit.

If you get a call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent or collections agency employee asking for money, review the situation before you take action. Read the IRS’s Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft, and contact your tax preparer right away.