10 IRS Scams You Need To Avoid This Tax Season

Is the IRS Really Contacting You?

For most people, tax season is a combination of stress, confusion, and sensitive information — making it the perfect opportunity for fraudsters to target victims.

Scammers impersonate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and send letters, emails, text messages, or even show up at your home demanding payment or sensitive personal data.

Last year alone, the IRS uncovered $9.1 billion in tax fraud and tax-related crimes, according to the agency’s 2024 year-end report.

If you want to protect yourself this tax season (and throughout the year), you need to remain calm and vigilant when engaging with anyone claiming to be from the IRS.

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How To Quickly Identify an IRS Scammer

Large-scale data breaches and advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), have made it much harder to spot IRS scammers.

According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), fraudsters increasingly use stolen personal information — especially compromised SSNs — to make you believe they’re legitimate IRS agents.

Still, there are some common warning signs that you’re dealing with a fake IRS agent:

• They contact you. The IRS will not initiate contact with you, unless you give them express permission to email, call, or text you. In most cases, you can safely ignore any unsolicited message, prerecorded robocall, or email claiming to be from the IRS.
• Threats of any kind. IRS agents will never threaten you with fines, criminal prosecution, or deportation if you don’t comply with their instructions.
• Requests to pay using gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Tax payments should be made using other more secure methods, including bank transfers and checks.
• Being asked to provide sensitive personal or financial information. The IRS should already know your name, SSN, phone number, etc. If someone can’t provide basic information about you, it’s a scam.
• Forms that aren’t on the IRS website. Double-check any form against the original on the IRS website. If there are any modifications, or if you can’t find the form online, it’s a scam.

What to do if you’re targeted by an IRS scam: Immediately contact your bank to place a credit freeze with all three major credit bureaus. Then, update your passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on any compromised accounts. Finally, report the scam to the IRS online and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The 10 Latest IRS Scams To Watch Out For

Every year, the IRS releases its “Dirty Dozen” — compiling consumer alerts for the worst tax scams of the past year. However, this list focuses mostly on people avoiding tax payments or committing other forms of tax fraud.

To help you stay safe, we’ve put together a list of the latest ways that scammers may target you with IRS scams during this tax season:

1. Fake IRS phone calls using AI-generated voices

Scammers have begun using artificial intelligence (AI) to mask their own voices and make convincing phone calls pretending to be from the IRS.

These scammers will often use spoofing technology to trick your caller ID into showing that a call is coming from the IRS. If you answer, the fake AI caller will then use stolen information to “prove” they’re legitimate, before threatening you with fines or jail time if you don’t pay them via gift cards, cryptocurrencies, or other untraceable methods.

Your best bet is to always hang up and call the agency back using one of its official phone numbers.

Remember: The IRS will not contact you directly about a tax issue (or your tax refund) without sending an official IRS notice through the mail first. If you want to be absolutely safe, let Aura’s AI-powered spam Call Assistant answer and vet the caller for you.

2. Phishing emails or texts claiming your tax refund has been “recalculated”

Scammers send fake text messages or phishing emails with eye-catching subject lines about large tax refunds or recalculated rebates. But in order to claim them, you’re asked to click on a link and enter sensitive information — such as your driver’s license number, SSN, or even your bank account information.

Stay safe: Learn how to spot the most common warning signs of a phishing scam — such as an email sent from an address that doesn’t end in “@irs.gov.”

3. Calls claiming to be from the FDIC asking for your bank information

Another common phone scam involves fraudsters posing as agents from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) asking you to “confirm” or “update” your financial information. Other reports of these scams involve lies about unpaid debts and threats of lawsuits or jail time.

Any unsolicited request from the FDIC for personal information or payment information is a scam. Hang up immediately and report the incident to law enforcement.

🎯 Related: What Can Scammers Do With Your Bank Account Number? →

4. People offering help to set up your online IRS account

An online IRS account can help you track the progress of your return, request an identity protection pin, and submit documents. But scammers have begun targeting these accounts to gain access to your sensitive personal and financial information.

If scammers have access to your IRS account, they can use it to submit fake tax returns or even steal your identity. Set up your own account and make sure you protect it with a strong password.

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5. Letters or calls from the “Bureau of Tax Enforcement”

Victims report being contacted by the “Bureau of Tax Enforcement” — a fake collection agency invented by scammers. They inform their victims of a supposed tax lien that can only be settled by making an immediate payment via gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrencies, or other mostly irreversible methods.

Check that you’re dealing with a legitimate agency by searching “[Agency name] + legitimate/reviews/scam.” You can also contact the IRS directly to make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate organization.

🎯 Related: The Truth About CPN Numbers (and Other Credit Repair Scams) →

6. Unexpected calls from the Taxpayer Advocate Service

The Taxpayer Advocate Service is a legitimate organization under the umbrella of the IRS. However, scammers use this title to call victims and claim they owe tax debts that must be paid immediately. In other variations of the scam, fraudsters may say that you’re eligible for a special tax credit, but they need your personal information to help you file for it.

If you owe federal or state tax, you will receive a tax bill in the mail from the IRS.

7. Fake text messages claiming your IRS account is “on hold”

Fraudsters use threats to pressure you into complying with their demands. In one common text message scam, scammers claim that your IRS account has issues that need to be resolved. These texts contain a link to “fix” your account — but if you click it, you’ll be taken to a fake website that asks for sensitive information, such as your IRS account password, Social Security number, or credit card details.

Don’t fall for fake threats. The IRS will not threaten to close your account, send you to jail, or cancel your SSN if you don’t comply. Threats are a huge red flag that you’re dealing with an IRS scam.

8. Ghost tax preparers who won’t sign your tax return

Scammers also pretend to be tax processionals in order to steal your bank account information or file fake returns in your name and steal your refund. Dishonest tax preparers will refuse to sign your tax return with their Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), which means that they won’t be held liable for fraud — you will.

Before hiring tax professionals, take pains to verify their status and credentials by looking them up in the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers.

🎯 Related: 8 Reasons Why You Should File Taxes Early This Year →

9. Fraudulent tax transcript emails from “IRS online”

During tax season, scammers may send emails with attachments labeled as tax transcripts or other tax documents (such as a form W-2 or 1099). If you open the attachment, it can infect your device with malware that gives hackers access to your most sensitive data.

If you receive a message like this, forward it to phishing@irs.gov and then delete the message and block the sender.

Stay safe by protecting your devices with antivirus. Aura scans your device for malicious software and quarantines it before it can do damage. Try Aura free for 14 days.

10. Fake IRS agents or charities offering to help you file a “casualty loss claim”

If you live in an area that was recently affected by a natural disaster, you might become the target of this IRS impersonation scam. Con artists contact victims via email or social media, posing as members of a charitable organization that’s partnering with the IRS to help victims file a casualty loss deduction on their tax returns.

Instead of trying to help, they’re actually trying to steal your sensitive information. If you need help filing a casualty loss claim, call the IRS’ official disaster assistance line at 866-562-5227.

If someone comes to your home claiming to be from the IRS, ask for their HSPD-12 card. If an IRS agent visits you in person, they’re required to show an official Federal identity card. Make sure you take down any badge or employee numbers for your own records.  

How To Stay Safe When Filing Your Taxes This Year

Tax season is stressful enough without the risk of being targeted by a cybercriminal. Along with looking out for the above-mentioned scams, follow these best practices for avoiding IRS scams:

• File your taxes early. The earlier you file, the harder it is for scammers to file fraudulently using your information.
• Verify the legitimacy of anyone who contacts you about your taxes. Contact the IRS independently to confirm the agent’s information before you proceed.
• Keep your SSN secure by not sharing it with anyone via phone, email, or text.
• Never respond to unsolicited calls, texts, emails, or social media messages. If anyone claims to be from the IRS, hang up and call the agency back through its official channels listed on IRS.gov.‍
• Regularly monitor your credit score, bank account, and personal finances. Aura keeps tabs on your most sensitive accounts for you so that you don’t have to worry about missing the warning signs of fraud. ‍
• Thoroughly vet any tax professional before working with them. Make sure the person or company has the proper credentials — and that they sign your tax return when submitting it.

For even more security, consider signing up for an identity theft protection solution. Aura can help keep you and your family safe this tax season with all-in-one identity theft, credit fraud, and hacking protection — plus 24/7 support and up to $5 million in identity theft insurance.