SCARS™ Anti-Scam FAQ: IRS (U.S. Tax) Scam

 
Whether you have received your tax refund check by now, are waiting on an extension from the Internal Revenue Service or are just starting to prepare your taxes, be on alert for scammers.
 
The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry are warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for scams as “a surge of new, sophisticated email phishing scams” are being reported.
 
The holidays and tax season present great opportunities for scam artists to steal valuable information through fake emails the IRS states.
 
They want consumers to watch out for email schemes that try to fool you into thinking they’re from the IRS or partners in the tax community.
 
In 2018, the IRS noted a 60% increase in bogus email schemes that seek to steal money or tax data.
 
The tax season can also see threatening scam calls from fake IRS agents. These fake agents usually demand money from victims or state that they will be arrested. The IRS has stated publicly that the summer is when the calls usually increase.
 
The calls can also be recorded messages left on your voicemail that leave the impression that if you do not call back, the IRS will issue a warrant for your arrest. It’s important to note that the IRS does not ever call or leave urgent messages asking you to call them back.
 
Taxpayers can forward these email schemes to phishing@irs.gov—then hit delete.