Common Tax Scams

Tax season is open season for identify theft and predators. It is very important to keep a watchful eye on any suspicious activity, especially any communications claiming to be from a government agency. 

KEEP IN MIND:   the IRS will never call you as an initial contact. They contact the taxpayer via mail service provided by the United States Postal Service. 

Common Scams during tax seasons:

1. Emails claiming to be from the IRS with attached links
2. Phony Phone calls stating there is an issue with your tax return and need to provide personal information to verify.
3. Phone calls or text messages trying to get you to pay your liability.
4. Calls threating law enforcement action unless payment is made

Protecting yourself:

1. Do not click any links contained in an email or text from sources you were not expecting
2. Do not give out personal or financial information via phone, text, or email. 

In the event you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asks for you to provide personal information to verify your identity or asks for payment. Here is what you should do:

1. Do NOT give out any information. Hang up immediately.
2. Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to report the call by using their "IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting" web page (treasury.gov) or call 800.366.4484.
3. Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission using the "FTC Complaint Assistant" webpage (FTC.gov), make sure to add "IRS Telephone Scam" in your notes.
4. If you receive a text message or email claiming to be from the IRS, those claims should be sent to phishing@irs.gov.