Officials warn of new round of phone scams in Pennsylvania

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Officials are warning residents about new phone and text message scams making rounds across the state.

Scammers are impersonating the state Department of Revenue and sheriff's offices, officials shared in separate releases.

Attorney General Dave Sunday said an emerging scam call uses a spoofed phone number and alleges to be the "sheriffs office."

Most times, the scammer tells the recipient about an alleged unpaid traffic ticket or legal matter, and says a sheriff's deputy is on the way with a warrant for arrest, and encourages the recipient not to hang up the phone.

"The scammer offers the resident a 'lifeline' to make an immediate payment via gift cards, wire transfer or utilizing a cryptocurrency ATM," the release says.

Residents who receive such a call should ask the caller to identify themselves with their badge number, the law enforcement agency they work for, and a telephone number for their office, the release says.

The recipient should ask them to hang up and call back. If the caller refuses, it is a scam, the release says.

Residents who have sent money and believe they have been scammed should contact their bank and the third-party money transmitter used to try to cancel the payment.

Pennsylvanians who believe they have been victims of a government imposter scam can file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection by visiting www.attorneygeneral.gov.

"No law enforcement, government agency or court will ask you to pay an outstanding fee via gift cards or cryptocurrency," the release from the Attorney General's Office says.

A second scam

Pennsylvanians also appear to be the most recent targets of a scam impersonating state revenue agencies.

Agencies in California, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Missouri reported similar fraudulent activity, officials revealed.

Last week, the Philadelphia Department of Revenue warned consumers of a phishing scam impersonating its department. The department urged residents to not share sensitive information or click any suspicious links.

Now, a similar scam is popping up throughout the commonwealth, with perpetrators impersonating the state Revenue Department via text.

"Your refund request has been processed and approved," the text — which starts with "Pennsylvania Department of Revenue" — reads.

"Please provide accurate payment information by September 24, 2025. We will deposit funds into your bank account or mail a paper check within 1-2 business days."

The text warns that failure to do so by the provided date "will permanently disqualify you from receiving this refund."

To use the link provided to provide payment information for the alleged refund, the text instructs recipients to reply "Y," and then close and reopen the message to activate the link.

The Department of Revenue urges consumers who get the text or similar texts to not click suspicious links from unknown senders, to avoid sharing personal information and to report such messages or calls to the department at 717-425-2495, Ext. 72267.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue does not send unsolicited text messages asking for banking information,” Revenue Secretary Pat Browne said.

“If you have any suspicion that you received a message like this, do not click any links, do not respond, and delete the message immediately.”

Pennsylvania taxpayers are encouraged to verify their refund status only through official channels, including the department's official online tax hub, myPATH, or by calling 1-888-PATAXES.