Q: How to verify legitimacy of email claiming to be from Federal Reserve Bank?

A: The Federal Reserve Bank doesn't collect money from taxpayers. That's the IRS. If you must, the contact info for the Federal Reserve for the western US is here:

federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/federal-reserve-system-san-francisco.htm

A: This email has multiple red flags that strongly suggest it's fraudulent. The Federal Reserve generally doesn't contact individuals directly about owing money, and legitimate financial institutions never request your bank account and routing information via unsolicited email. The lack of official letterhead, logos, or formal documentation further indicates this is likely a scam attempting to access your financial information.

You can verify by contacting the Federal Reserve directly through their official website (federalreserve.gov) or by calling their published phone numbers—never use contact information provided in the suspicious email itself. Jerome Powell, the Chair of the Federal Reserve Board, would not be personally emailing individuals about financial matters or requesting their banking details.

Consider reporting this phishing attempt to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) and to your email provider. Delete the email without responding, and never share your banking information with unverified sources. Remember that government agencies and financial institutions have established formal channels for communication that don't involve unexpected emails requesting sensitive financial data.