Tax refund and government grant scams
Tax-refund and grant scams dangle 'money you're owed' to harvest your bank, card, or ID details - or a 'release fee'.
Quick answer: Tax offices and grant bodies don't send refund links or charge a fee to release money.
How tax refund and government grant scams work
You're told you're owed a refund, grant, or benefit and must 'confirm details' via a link or pay a small fee.
The page captures your banking and ID details, or the fee simply disappears.
Genuine refunds and grants are handled through official accounts, not surprise links.
Common opening lines
- “You are eligible for a tax refund - confirm your bank details.”
- “You qualify for a government grant - pay a small release fee.”
- “Your pension is on hold - verify your details to keep payments.”
Example patterns
Sanitised examples - placeholders only, never real links or data.
Example only: You are eligible for a tax refund. Confirm your bank details to receive it: [fake-link removed]
Example only: You qualify for a government grant - pay a small release fee to receive the funds: [fake-link removed]
What the scammer wants
- Your bank/card details
- Your ID for identity theft
- A 'release fee' for money that doesn't exist
Where it spreads
Platforms: SMS, Email
Watch especially in: United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India
Red flags
- payment request
- fake authority
- suspicious link
- too good
What to do now
- Stop and don't enter anything; open the official app or site yourself.
- If you entered details, change passwords and tell your bank.
- Report the message in-app and to your national cybercrime authority.
What not to do
- Don't enter logins, codes, or card details on a page reached from a message.
- Don't trust urgency, threats, or 'verify now or lose access' pressure.
- Don't reuse the same password across accounts.
If you already responded
If you went further: if you clicked, don't enter anything and change any details you typed; if you entered card details, freeze the card with your bank; if you shared an OTP, change the password and enable app-based 2FA; if you paid, contact your bank or provider immediately; if you installed an app or gave remote access, disconnect, uninstall, and change passwords from a clean device.
How to verify safely
Check any refund, grant, or benefit by signing in to your official government account directly - never via a link.
How to report
Report through official channels you find yourself - never a number or link from the message. Tell your bank or payment provider if money moved, and file with your national fraud or cybercrime body. Find the right links in the reporting directory. Open the reporting directory.
Watch for 'recovery' offers afterwards: anyone promising to get your money back for an upfront fee is running a second scam.
Related scam messages you can check
- fake tax refund SMS Likely scam
- HMRC tax refund text Likely scam
- IRS tax refund scam Likely scam
- ATO myGov scam message Likely scam
- fake government grant message Likely scam
- medical/healthcare benefit scam Likely scam
- fake Medicare card message Likely scam
- fake pension update message Likely scam
Related platforms
Report in your country
Related red flags
Emergency guides
Related terms
Sources checked
- FTC Consumer Advice - Imposter scams
- FBI IC3 - Senior US officials impersonated in malicious messaging campaign (2025)
Frequently asked questions
Does the tax office text refund links?
No. Check your official tax account directly. Refund texts with links are phishing.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-05
This is general safety information, not legal, financial, or cybersecurity incident-response advice. We can't detect every scam or guarantee recovery - always verify through official channels.