Chicago, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) says there is a new scam trying to steal the financial records of state residents.

According to a news release, the phishing scam involves unsolicited, urgent-looking text messages indicating that a tax refund has been processed for you.  Problem is, you’re then asked to provide personal banking data, threatening to lose a state refund if you don’t comply.

The Illinois Department of Revenue only contacts taxpayers, they say, through official correspondence through the U.S. Mail, or through the account management platform “MyTax Illinois.”  If you receive a text message, e-mail, or social media count should be ignored, especially if they ask for financial information.

“There has been a significant rise in fake text messages impersonating state revenue departments,” said IDOR Director David Harris, in a news release. “These scams are designed to deceive taxpayers and pressure them into revealing their most sensitive financial information. Let me be very clear that IDOR does not send unsolicited text messages asking for banking or personal information.”

If residents have further questions, they can go to tax.illinois.gov, or call 1-800-732-8866.