Fraudulent C53E Notices

The IRS has issued a significant number of CP53E notices this year related to direct deposit issues for tax refunds. While many of these notices are legitimate, there has been an increase in fraudulent versions circulating.

A legitimate CP53E notice typically means the IRS approved a refund but could not process the direct deposit due to missing or incorrect banking information. 

At the same time, the volume of these notices—over 1.4 million issued this season—has created opportunities for scammers to send convincing copies. 

What to know:

• The IRS sends these notices by U.S. mail only
• They will not ask for sensitive information via email, text, or phone
• They direct you to log in directly to IRS.gov to take action

If you receive a notice:

• Do not click any links or scan QR codes
• Do not provide personal or banking information

Instead, go directly to IRS.gov and log into your account to verify the notice.

If you receive a notice and are unsure how to proceed, reach out to your tax advisor who will be happy to review and help you determine the appropriate next step.