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H&R Block scams

Last updated September 18, 2026

The short answer

H&R Block scams are refund-status emails that capture your login, and "ghost preparers" who file your return without signing it and direct the refund to their own account. Check that your refund goes to your account number on the filed return.

Tax season concentrates identity theft into three months and makes an entire population briefly willing to enter Social Security numbers, employment history and bank details into anything that looks like a tax product. The ghost-preparer problem is the more insidious one: it is not a phishing email but a person in a storefront, who files a real return with inflated deductions and a bank account that is not yours.

How H&R Block scams work

  1. 1

    Refund status phishing

    Emails about your refund, a filing problem, or an audit link to a fake H&R Block or IRS login. Credentials give access to a return containing everything needed for identity theft.

  2. 2

    Ghost preparers

    A preparer completes your return but does not sign it as the preparer — which is illegal — and enters their own bank account for the refund. Inflated deductions increase the refund, and the liability for the false return is yours.

  3. 3

    Refund advance scams

    Offers of an instant refund advance that collect bank details and identity data and deliver nothing.

  4. 4

    Fake preparer storefronts

    Seasonal storefronts using tax-brand imagery that disappear after filing season, taking fees and data with them.

Warning signs

  • A preparer will not sign your return or provide a PTIN
  • A preparer bases their fee on a percentage of your refund
  • The refund is directed to an account that is not yours
  • You are promised a bigger refund than anyone else without seeing your documents
  • An email about your refund links to a login page
  • A storefront appeared for the season and has no permanent address
  • You are asked to sign a blank or incomplete return

Examples

The preparer who did not sign

A storefront preparer files a return with $9,000 in fabricated business expenses and enters his own bank account for the $6,400 refund, handing the client a printed copy showing her own account. She discovers it when the refund never arrives, and then faces an IRS examination over deductions she never claimed.

Refund status email

An email headed "Action required: your refund is on hold" links to a fake login. The credentials open a completed return containing a Social Security number, employer, dependants' details and bank account — a complete identity package in one document.

What to do

  • Check that your preparer signs the return and includes a PTIN. It is legally required.
  • Verify the bank account on the filed return is yours before it is submitted.
  • Never sign a blank or incomplete return.
  • Check refund status only at irs.gov/refunds.
  • Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN, which blocks fraudulent returns filed in your name.

Report it to H&R Block

Report impersonation through hrblock.com support. Report a ghost preparer to the IRS with Form 14157.

Our step-by-step guide: H&R Block

Getting your money back

Report a ghost preparer to the IRS using Form 14157, and file Form 14157-A if the return was altered without your consent — the IRS has a process for exactly this and it can correct the record. Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN to prevent further fraudulent filings, and file at IdentityTheft.gov. If a refund went to someone else's account, the IRS has a refund-trace process, though it is slow. Place free credit freezes: a completed return is the most complete identity package that exists.

Frequently asked questions

What is a ghost preparer?

Someone who prepares a return for payment but does not sign it or include their Preparer Tax Identification Number, which federal law requires. They inflate deductions to generate a larger refund and frequently direct that refund to their own account. The legal liability for the false return lands on you.

How do I check my refund status safely?

Only at irs.gov/refunds or in the IRS2Go app, using your Social Security number, filing status and exact refund amount. The IRS does not email or text about refund status, so any message about it is phishing.

What is an IRS Identity Protection PIN?

A six-digit number, issued annually, that must appear on your return for it to be accepted. It stops someone filing a fraudulent return in your name, which is the most common tax-related identity theft. Anyone can request one at irs.gov.

Other companies scammers impersonate

Scams reuse their scripts across brands. If you were contacted about H&R Block, these are the guides worth reading next.

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