What is the "Integrity and Verification Operations" and why did I get a letter from them?

[ershalett1968]

I received a letter from the IRS saying they could not process my return until they hear for me. When I tried they asked for a $50 payment. I gave them my debit card number and the bank thought it was fraud and turned it down.

[ershalett1968]

I received a letter from the IRS saying they could not process my return, When I called the number they gave me, they asked for a $50 payment and my bank turned it down as fraud.

[xmasbaby0]

@ershalett1968 That sounds like a scam.  The IRS does not tell you that you have to pay $50 to process your return.   What does it say on the IRS refund site?

First, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: 

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/

Once your federal return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS has any control.  TurboTax does not receive any updates from the IRS. Your ONLY source of information about your refund now is the IRS.

You need your filing status, your Social Security number and the exact amount  (line 35a of your 2023 Form 1040) of your federal refund to track your Federal refund:   

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

To track your state refund:    

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

[mesquitebean]

@ershalett1968   wrote:  "I received a letter from the IRS saying they could not process my return until they hear for me. When I tried they asked for a $50 payment. I gave them my debit card number and the bank thought it was fraud and turned it down."

To add on to @ xmasbaby0 's post, if this turns out to be a scam as suspected, and since you said you gave the outfit your debit card number, I would discuss this further with your bank about getting a new debit card with a different account number, etc.  to protect yourself. 

Addendum 05/20/24 at 10:05 AM Pacific:

And in addition to the debit card number, did you give them other sensitive personal info such as DOB, SSN, etc.?   If so, you should take immediate steps to try to mitigate potential ID theft.

[Affordabletaxes2021]

That’s sound weird the IRS doesn’t do that. It could have been a scammer wanting your information