The IRS has recently warned taxpayers to beware of a quickly proliferating scam involving incorrect tax refunds being deposited into real taxpayer bank accounts. Scammers will file a fraudulent return and have the money deposited into a taxpayer account. The criminals will then impersonate debt collection agency officials acting on behalf of the IRS, contacting taxpayers to tell them the refund was deposited in error. This may also come in the form of an automated phone call, accompanied by various threats of criminal charges and/or “blacklisting” if the taxpayers do not comply quickly with returning the money. The scammers will then give false information for the taxpayer to follow to “return” the money, including phone numbers to call and possibly an account to transfer the money to.

The typical procedure for the IRS is to initiate contact via a notice through the mail. So, if you receive any contact claiming you received an incorrect refund, do not speak with them or use any of the information they may try to give you. Contact the IRS at 800-829-1040, and you can also follow this link for more information on how to return an erroneous refund.
https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc161

-Heritage Accounting and Tax Services
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