05/06/2026
May 6, 2026
Important Notice Regarding Fake IRS
CP53E Notices
We are reaching out to inform you about a recent warning issued by the IRS concerning
fraudulent CP53E notices circulating among taxpayers. These fake notices are designed to
deceive recipients by falsely claiming to be official IRS correspondence regarding issues with
direct deposit refunds.
The federal government, including the IRS, is phasing out paper checks and steering more
payments toward direct deposit. As a result, hundreds of thousands of taxpayers are being
prompted to review or fix their banking information.
So, in recent months, there has been a significant surge in the number of legitimate CP53E
letters issued by the IRS.
• Congressional data indicate that 1.4 million CP53E notices have been issued as of March
2026, amid the direct deposit push.
• As mentioned, this volume stems from IRS efforts to reduce paper checks, which take
longer to process (typically 6-8 weeks, compared with a few days for electronic
payments).
Starting September 30, 2025, the IRS shifted to electronic payment and no longer automatically
mails paper checks. This new workflow triggers a CP53E notice. The notice asks the taxpayer
to add or update bank account information online through their IRS online account.
Scammers are using fake versions of CP53E notices to steal personal and financial data.
How to spot a fraudulent CP53E notice:
• Includes a QR code
• Instructs the taxpayer to respond by text message, email, or phone
• Directs the taxpayer to a website that is not IRS.gov
• Requires a payment by gift card, prepaid card, or another unusual method
• Uses language that appears unusually urgent, threatening, or inconsistent
• Claims an IRS employee can update bank information on the taxpayer’s behalf
One of the obvious red flags is any instruction to update bank information anywhere other
than your IRS Online Account.
IRS employees CANNOT make these changes over the phone.
If you receive a CP53E notice or any suspicious communication claiming to be from the IRS, do
not respond, do not click any links or scan any QR codes in the notice or provide any personal
information. Instead, the safest course is to go directly to the IRS website by entering the official
IRS URL in your browser. From there:
• Log in to your official Sign In
• Check whether the notice appears
• You can also call the IRS using an official number 1.800.829.1040
We are committed to safeguarding your financial information and will continue to keep you informed of any developments (if any).
Sincerely,
Kimberly Thacker, Accountant & Team
336.644.2741
P.O. Box 469
Stokesdale, NC 27357
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