Who
else
loves
tax
season
besides
accountants?
Scammers.
It’s
high
time
of
year
for
online
risks
here
in
the
U.S.
with
the
onset
of
tax
season,
where
scammers
unleash
all
manner
of
scams
aimed
at
taxpayers.
The
complexity,
and
even
uncertainty,
of
filing
a
proper
tax
return
can
stir
up
anxieties
like,
Have
I
filed
correctly,
Did
I
claim
the
right
deductions,
Will
I
get
audited,
and
Will
I
get
stung
with
a
tax
penalty
are
just
a
few—and
these
are
the
very
same
anxieties
that
criminals
use
as
the
cornerstone
of
their
attacks.
Yet
like
so
many
scams,
tax
scams
give
off
telltale
signs
that
they’re
indeed
not
on
the
up-and-up.
You
have
ways
you
can
spot
one
before
you
get
caught
up
in
one.
Scammers
prey
on
the
uncertainty
of
tax
season
In
all,
we’ve
learned
to
watch
our
step
with
the
Internal
Revenue
Service
(IRS),
so
much
so
that
receiving
a
notification
from
the
IRS
can
feel
like
an
unwanted
surprise.
Uh
oh,
did
I
do
something
wrong?
However,
in
reality,
less
than
2%
of
returns
get
audited
and
most
discrepancies
or
adjustments
can
get
handled
easily
if
addressed
promptly.
Still,
that
wariness
of
the
IRS
makes
for
ripe
pickings
when
it
comes
to
hackers,
who
prey
on
people’s
fear
of
audits
and
penalties.
Common
scams
include
email
phishing
attacks,
phone
calls
from
crooks
posing
as
IRS
agents,
texts
claiming
there’s
a
problem
with
our
tax
software,
and
even
robocalls
that
threaten
jail
time
for
unpaid
back
taxes.
What’s
more,
fraudsters
can
take
things
a
step
further
by
committing
identity
theft
and
then
filing
tax
claims
in
other
people’s
names.
With
that,
let’s
dig
into
a
list
of
the
top
scams
wind
up
on
our
screens
and
phones
during
tax
time.
Tax
scams
to
look
out
for
This
IRS
Dirty
Dozen:
Top
tax-season
scams
Straight
from
the
authority
itself,
the
IRS
publishes
its
Dirty
Dozen,
an
annual
list
of
the
top
tax
season
scams.
Year-over-year,
many
of
the
same
scams
make
the
list,
yet
new
ones
continue
to
crop
up
as
scammers
try
to
take
advantage
of
current
events.
A
couple
recent
examples
include
email
phishing
scams
centered
around
Employee
Retention
Credits,
pandemic
relief
checks,
and
federal
stimulus
checks.
Additionally,
the
IRS
has
warned
filers
about
disinformation
that
circulates
on
social
media,
such
as
bogus
advice
that
urges
filers
to
alter
their
W-2
figures
for
a
better
refund.
With
new
scams
entering
the
mix
every
tax
season,
the
Dirty
Dozen
offers
plenty
of
good
advice
that
can
help
you
steer
clear
of
scams.
Robocalls
and
other
phone
scams
We
all
know
the
annoyance
of
spammy
phone
calls,
whether
they’re
for
phony
car
warranties,
tech
support
services,
or
debt
collection
agencies.
During
this
time
of
year,
you
can
add
phony
IRS
agents
and
financial
service
providers
to
the
list.
The
stories
that
scammers
will
tell
will
vary,
but
they
often
share
common
themes:
-
The
IRS
wants
to
provide
you
with
a
refund,
yet
they
need
your
personal
and
financial
account
information
before
they
will
pay
you. -
You
owe
back
taxes!
Pay
the
IRS
now
with
a
money
order
or
gift
cards,
otherwise
you’re
subject
to
immediate
arrest! -
A
financial
services
company
offers
to
file
your
taxes
on
your
behalf,
all
you
need
to
do
is
provide
them
with
your
tax
ID
or
Social
Security
number—along
with
other
personal
and
financial
information.
Another
thing
they
have
in
common:
they
each
outright
ask
for
money,
personal
information,
and
sometimes
a
combination
of
both.
All
of
which
is
an
indication
of
a
scam.
For
the
record,
per
the
IRS,
it
does
not:
-
Call
to
demand
immediate
payment
using
a
specific
payment
method
such
as
a
prepaid
debit
card,
gift
card,
or
wire
transfer. -
Demand
that
you
pay
taxes
without
the
opportunity
to
question
or
appeal
the
amount
they
say
you
owe.
You
should
also
be
advised
of
your
rights
as
a
taxpayer. -
Threaten
to
bring
in
local
police,
immigration
officers,
or
other
law-enforcement
to
have
you
arrested
for
not
paying.
Also
per
the
IRS,
they
cannot
revoke
your
driver’s
license,
business
licenses,
or
immigration
status.
As
noted
above,
scammers
will
often
weave
these
threats
into
their
stories.
Those
threats
are
entirely
empty.
What
will
the
IRS
do?
Generally,
the
IRS
will
first
mail a
notice
to
any
taxpayer
who
owes
taxes.
In
some
instances,
IRS
collection
employees
may
make
an
unannounced
visit
to
your
home
and
properly
identify
themselves
with
IRS-issued
credentials
and
an
federal
ID
card.
In
all
cases,
the
revenue
officer
will
only
request
required
payments
by
cash,
check,
certified
funds,
or
money
order
payable
to
“United
States
Treasury.”
As
for
scam
calls
that
pose
as
financial
services
companies
or
tax
preparers,
ignore
them.
If
you’re
planning
to
work
with
a
tax
pro,
do
your
research
and
work
with
a
legitimate,
accredited
individual
or
organization.
The
IRS
has
a
great
resource
that
can
get
you
started
on
your
search
with
its
“Directory
of
Federal
Tax
Return
Preparers.”
There
you
can
get
a
list
of
qualified
tax
preparers
that
are
verified
by
the
IRS,
which
you
can
narrow
down
based
on
their
accreditations
and
distance
from
your
zip
code.
Messages
by
text
or
social
media
One
way
you
can
be
sure
that
someone
other
than
the
IRS
has
reached
you
is
if
they
contact
you
by
text,
messaging
app,
or
social
media.
The
IRS
will
not
contact
you
in
any
of
these
ways.
Ignore
any
such
messages,
and
if
your
app
or
platform
allows
you
to
report
messages
or
accounts
as
spam,
do
so.
You
can
often
do
it
with
a
simple
click
or
tap.
Another
increasingly
popular
scam
on
phones
is
the
bogus
account
alert.
The
scammer
may
send
a
message
that
says
Your
account
is
on
hold,
or
something
like
We’ve
detected
unusual
activity.
During
most
of
the
year,
scammers
will
use
these
messages
to
pose
as
online
payment
platforms,
banks,
credit
card
companies,
online
stores,
and
streaming
services.
Now
during
tax
season,
they’ll
masquerade
as
IRS
agents
or
popular
tax
software
companies.
Even
though
the
names
change,
the
game
remains
the
same.
The
text
or
message
will
serve
up
a
link
so
you
can
“correct
the
situation,”
one
that
leads
to
a
site
that
could
steal
your
personal
information
or
otherwise
trick
you
into
installing
malware
on
your
phone.
As
always,
don’t
click
these
links.
Report
them
if
you
can.
Phishing
emails
Phishing
emails
pull
many
of
the
same
tricks
that
calls,
texts,
and
direct
messages
do—you’ll
simply
find
them
in
your
inbox
instead.
The
same
rules
for
avoiding
other
IRS
scams
apply
here.
First,
note
that
the
IRS
will
never
initiate
contact
with
you
via
email.
Nor
will
they
send
you
emails
about
your
tax
refund
or
any
other
sensitive
information.
In
the
past,
the
IRS
has
reported
that
phishing
emails
often
send
their
victims
to
lookalike
IRS
sites
that
can
appear
quite
convincing.
There,
victims
either
receive
a
prompt
to
enter
their
personal
and
financial
information
or
to
download
a
file
that’s
laden
with
malware.
Other
emails
may
include
attachments,
which
may
be
loaded
with
malware
as
well.
Delete
any
such
emails
you
receive.
And
if
you
have
any
concerns,
contact
your
tax
professional
or
the
IRS
directly.
Also,
the
IRS
asks
people
who
receive
scam
emails
to
notify
them
at
phishing@irs.gov.
This
helps
the
IRS
track
and
prosecute
scammers.
Identity
theft
and
stolen
refunds
Imagine
filing
your
return
only
to
find
out
it’s
already
been
filed.
A
far
more
serious
form
of
tax-related
crime
is
identity
theft,
where
a
scammer
uses
the
victim’s
personal
information
and
Social
Security
number
to
file
a
return
in
the
victim’s
name—and
claim
the
refund.
One
particularly
painful
aspect
of
identity
theft
and
taxes
is
that
victims
often
find
out
only
after
it
occurs
or
when
it’s
well
underway.
For
example:
-
You
can’t
file
a
return
because
a
duplicate
Social
Security
number
has
already
filed
one. -
You
receive
correspondence
from
the
IRS
asking
a
question
about
a
return
that
you
did
not
file,
that
you
owe
additional
tax,
have
had
a
refund
offset,
or
that
you
have
collections
actions
against
you
for
a
return
you
did
not
file. -
You
get
a
notice
that
an
IRS
online
account
has
been
created
in
your
name,
or
that
your
existing
account
has
been
accessed
or
disabled
by
someone
other
than
you.
Other
signs
are
related
to
employment,
such
as
getting
assigned
an
Employer
Identification
Number
even
though
you
didn’t
request
one,
discovering
that
the
IRS
shows
you
received
income
from
an
employer
you
didn’t
work
for,
or
finding
out
that
someone
has
claimed
unemployment
benefits
in
your
name.
Once
again,
both
are
signs
of
full-on
identity
theft
where
someone
has
assumed
your
identity.
The
IRS
states
that
you
should
always
respond
to
any
IRS
notice,
particularly
if
you
believe
it
is
in
error.
If
you’ve
already
contacted
the
IRS
about
an
identity
theft
issue,
you
can
reach
them
at
800-908-4490
for
further
assistance.
Understand
that
if
this
form
of
identity
theft
occurs
to
you,
it’s
highly
likely
that
the
scammer
has
your
Social
Security
number.
Report
that
right
away
at
https://www.ssa.gov/number-card/report-stolen-number
if
you
think
your
number
is
being
used
by
someone
else.
Your
Social
Security
number
ranks
at
the
very
top
of
your
most
valuable
personal
information.
It
unlocks
everything
from
driver’s
licenses,
photo
identification,
employment,
insurance
claims,
and
of
course
taxes.
Act
immediately
if
you
think
it’s
been
compromised.
Six
ways
you
can
protect
yourself
from
tax
fraud
1)
File
your
tax
return
A.S.A.P.
One
way
to
protect
yourself
from
an
identity
thief
from
claiming
a
return
in
your
name
is
to
file
yours
before
they
do.
As
mentioned,
many
victims
of
identity
theft
find
out
they’ve
been
scammed
when
they
receive
an
IRS
notification
that
their
tax
claim
has
already
been
filed.
Simply
put,
file
early.
2)
Get
an
IRS
PIN.
Another
way
you
can
help
prevent
someone
from
filing
a
return
in
your
name
is
to
request
a
six-digit
Identity
Protection
PIN
(IP
PIN).
Once
you
receive
am
IP
PIN,
the
IRS
will
use
it
to
verify
your
identity
when
you
file
by
paper
or
electronically.
It’s
good
for
one
calendar
year,
and
you
can
generate
a
new
one
each
year
for
your
account.
You
can
request
an
IP
PIN
at:
https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin.
Also
be
aware
that
scammers
want
your
IP
PIN
as
well.
Phone
calls,
emails,
or
texts
asking
for
it
are
scams.
Outside
of
including
it
when
filing
your
return,
the
IRS
will
never
ask
for
it.
If
you
are
working
with
a
tax
professional,
only
provide
it
when
it
comes
time
to
file.
3)
Monitor
your
credit
and
identity.
Keeping
tabs
on
your
credit
report
and
knowing
if
your
personal
information
has
been
compromised
in
some
way
can
help
prevent
tax
fraud.
Together,
they
can
let
you
know
if
someone
has
stolen
your
identity
or
if
you
have
personal
info
on
the
dark
web
that
could
lead
to
identity
theft.
Our
credit
monitoring
service
can
keep
an
eye
on
changes
to
your
credit
score,
report,
and
accounts
with
timely
notifications
and
guidance
so
you
can
take
action
to
tackle
identity
theft.
Our
identity
monitoring
service
checks
the
dark
web
for
your
personal
info,
including
email,
government
IDs,
credit
card
and
bank
account
info,
and
more—then
provides
alerts
if
your
data
is
found
on
the
dark
web,
an
average
of
10
months
ahead
of
similar
services.
4)
Get
identity
theft
protection.
If
you
fall
victim
to
identity
theft,
having
identity
theft
protection
in
place
can
provide
significant
relief,
both
financially
and
in
terms
of
recovery.
Our
identity
theft
coverage
&
restoration
support
includes
$1
million
in
funds
if
it’s
determined
that
you’re
a
victim,
which
covers
lawyer’s
fees,
travel
expenses,
and
stolen
funds
reimbursement—while
licensed
recovery
experts
can
help
you
repair
your
credit
and
identity.
Considering
the
potential
costs
in
both
time
and
money,
identity
theft
protection
can
speed
and
ease
recovery.
5)
Remove
your
personal
information
from
sketchy
data
broker
sites.
How’d
that
scammer
get
your
phone
number
or
email
address
anyway?
Chances
are,
they
pulled
that
information
off
a
data
broker
site.
Data
brokers
buy,
collect,
and
sell
detailed
personal
information,
which
they
compile
from
several
public
and
private
sources,
such
as
local,
state,
and
federal
records,
plus
third
parties
like
supermarket
shopper’s
cards
and
mobile
apps
that
share
and
sell
user
data.
Moreover,
they’ll
sell
it
to
anyone
who
pays
for
it,
including
people
who’ll
use
that
information
for
scams.
You
can
help
reduce
those
scam
texts
and
calls
by
removing
your
information
from
those
sites.
Our
Personal
Data
Cleanup
scans
some
of
the
riskiest
data
broker
sites
and
shows
you
which
ones
are
selling
your
personal
info.
We
also
provide
guidance
on
how
you
can
remove
your
data
from
those
sites
and,
with
select
plans,
even
manage
the
removal
for
you—while
continuing
to
scan
those
sites
in
case
your
information
reappears.
6)
Further
protect
yourself
from
online
scams
with
online
protection
software.
Comprehensive
online
protection
software
can
help
you
on
a
number
of
counts.
It
warns
you
of
suspicious
links
in
emails
and
texts
that
could
send
you
to
malicious
sites.
It
can
further
protect
you
from
ransomware
attacks,
which
IRS
has
also
listed
among
its
Dirty
Dozen.
And
you
can
use
it
to
monitor
all
your
transactions
across
all
your
financial
accounts
in
one
place,
which
can
spot
any
questionable
activity.
In
all,
tax
time
or
otherwise,
online
protection
software
is
always
a
strong
security
move.
Stay
Updated
A
little
stress
and
uncertainty
can
enter
the
picture
during
tax
season,
and
scammers
know
it.
In
fact,
they
prey
upon
it.
They
concoct
their
scams
around
those
feelings,
hoping
that
you’ll
take
the
bait
and
act
quickly
without
taking
the
time
to
scrutinize
what
they’re
saying
and
what
they’re
really
asking
you
to
do.
Keeping
up
to
date
on
what
the
latest
scams
are,
having
a
good
sense
of
which
ones
get
recycled
every
year,
and
putting
protections
in
place
can
help
you
avoid
getting
stung
by
a
scam
at
tax
season.
For
yet
more
information,
visit
the
IRS
Tax
Scam
and
Consumer
Alert
site
at:
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts
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