Tax season always brings the same thing with it — refunds, stress, and a fresh wave of scams that somehow keep catching people off guard. Every year, the the Internal Revenue Service puts out warnings about fake messages and letters pretending to be connected to your tax return. If you’re waiting on a refund, slow down and read anything that lands in your inbox, mailbox, or phone carefully. Real government notices don’t read like they were stitched together in a hurry. The rule of thumb is simple: government agencies don’t call, text, or email asking for sensitive information out of the blue.