No, Elon Musk doesn't want to give you a $5,000 tax refund it's a scam, here's what to look out for

Date:
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:25:00 +0000

Description:
Elon Musk's name is being used in crypto scams once again.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Pro Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Cofense uncovers IRSthemed crypto scam with Elon Musk Fake IRS emails steal personal and banking data Victims lured into bogus Dogecoin Initiative requiring Bitcoin payments Security researchers
from Cofense have uncovered a new cryptocurrency scam that combines Elon Musk with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The US is in peak tax season, which also means IRS-themed scams are reaching their zenith, and as with most fraud campaigns, this one also starts with an email. Designed to look as if it were from the IRS, the email tells the recipient theyve been selected to receive a $5,000 financial injection, courtesy of none other than Elon Musk. Article continues below You may like A devious new Apple Pay scam is hitting millions heres how to stay safe This tax-themed malvertising attack can blind security software before it arrives and then unleashes ransomware Now that's old school hackers are turning to snail mail to carry out crypto thefts Removing vulnerable apps Those who dont ask silly questions (for example, why would Elon Musk send random people
money through the IRS?) and click on the buttons provided in the email, are redirected to a number of malicious landing pages, designed to steal all
sorts of sensitive personal and banking information.

As part of the registration process, needed to receive Elon Musks refund, victims are told to share their full names, postal and email addresses, phone numbers, drivers license numbers, names of their employers, and even their banking institutions.

They are also asked to upload a photo of their ID card and provide bank routing and account numbers.

Using this information, the threat actors would be capable of much more sophisticated identity theft and social engineering attacks beyond the information exfiltrated from the credential phishing form, the researchers said. The threat actors would also be able to steal money directly from the victims bank account due to having access to the account and routing numbers. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The scammers didnt stop there. They also invited the victims to be part of a fake ElonMusk Dogecoin Initiative. They are told that if they purchase
$10,000 in Bitcoin (from a fake exchange), and send it to Elons address, theyll be reimbursed, and will get to keep $500 per transaction.

At the time Cofense wrote the report, Bitcoin wallet addresses belonging to the attackers showed no transactions, meaning no one took the bait.
Hopefully, Cofenses report raises enough awareness for it to stay that way. The best antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best antivirus 1. Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security 2. Best for families: Norton 360 with LifeLock 3. Best for mobile: McAfee Mobile Security Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/no-elon-musk-doesnt-want-to-give-you-a- usd5-000-tax-refund-its-a-scam-heres-what-to-look-out-for


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)