Be Cautious of Scams this Tax Season
Many taxpayers have fallen victim to tax scams. Scammers use the regular mail, telephone, and email in search of money and personal information. Remember, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information.
Please consider these steps to protect yourself from identity thieves:
- Keep Your Computer and Mobile Phone Secure: Use strong passwords, use firewall and security software, and use multi-factor authentication.
- Avoid Phishing Scams and Malware: Identity thieves use phishing emails to trick users into giving up passwords and other information. Never download software or apps from pop-up advertising and be cautious of emails from unknown sources with instructions to open a link or attachment.
- Avoid IRS Impersonators: The IRS will not call you with threats of jail or lawsuits. The IRS will not send you an unsolicited email suggesting you have a refund or that you need to update your account. The IRS will not request any sensitive information online. These are all scams. Forward IRS-related scam emails to phishing@irs.gov.
For more information on tax scams and consumer alerts, visit the IRS's website.
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