Philadelphia Department of Revenue Warns Residents of Phishing Text Scam

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Department of Revenueis alerting the public about a surge in fraudulent text message scams targeting residents. These scammers are impersonating the Philadelphia Department of Revenue and requesting users to click on an unofficial, malicious link and provide banking information related to a refund petition.

The Department of Revenue will never request bank or refund-sensitive information via text message.

Do not click on any links, reply, or provide any personal information in response to these messages. Residents are urged to report any suspicious texts as spam and delete them immediately.

There is no evidence that City databases have been breached or compromised. Taxpayers' data integrity and security are our highest priority, and we maintain strict compliance with state and federal safety standards. To learn more about how the City handles sensitive data, visit: phila.gov/privacypolicy/

Protect yourself from phishing texts and scams:

• Remain vigilant and exercise caution.
• Always be skeptical of unsolicited requests for sensitive information.
• Report suspicious activity to the corresponding agencies.
• Verify official channels and only trust websites with the phila.gov domain.

How to report it

Residents who believe they may have shared personal or financial information should report it to the FBI 24/7 at (215) 418-4000 or tips.fbi.gov. They can also contact the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.

To learn more about how to identify phishing texts and scams, visit the Pennsylvania Attorney General's website.

Background

On Monday, September 15, a sophisticated phishing-like SMS text message scam reached Philadelphia residents pretending to be from the Philadelphia Department of Revenue.