Florida Department of Revenue Smishing Scam

Here is a text that we received, supposedly from the Florida Department of Revenue:

Not another smishing attempt?!?

Florida Department of Revenue Your refund request has been processed and

approved. Please provide accurate payment information by September 17, 2025. Funds will be deposited into your bank account or mailed to you via paper check within 1-2 business days. https://florida.revenue-jg.cc/us ・Failure to submit the required payment information by September 17, 2025, will result in permanent forfeiture of this refund under Florida Revised Statute §5747.11. Reply “Y”, then close and reopen this message to activate the link. If the issue persists, copy the link and paste it directly into your browser. Florida Department of Revenue | Tallahassee, Florida | Official State Government Agency

Why are we considering this to be a smishing scam? Lets take a close look at the details:

1. There is no income tax in Florida for most people. Therefore, there should not be a refund, unless you are one of the multi-millionaires who actually have to pay Florida state taxes.

   
   

2. The URL of the embedded link, revenue-jg.cc is not associated with the Florida Department of Revenue, which uses the floridarevenue.com domain.

   
   

3. The Florida Department of Revenue would never send text messages about tax refunds.

   
   

4. If you indeed do have a refund coming your way, a failure to submit information in a timely manner would never result in forfeiture. Taxes (and refunds) never go away. But, you could check on the validity of the refund by contacting the department directly. First go to their legitimate website at floridarevenue.com and you will find an email address (fdortaxpayerservices@floridarevenue.com) and phone number (850-488-6800) where you can reach them directly.

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Smishing scams are becoming more and more frequent, and it is up to us to protect ourselves and our family members. Learn how you can protect yourself or your family by enrolling in the Complete Internet Security Basics and Phishing Awareness Course for Parents on TrainMyParent.com

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