Tax season can be stressful enough without scammers trying to take advantage of it. Yet, every year cybercriminals ramp up their efforts this time of year to steal personal information, file fraudulent returns, and trick taxpayers out of their money.
Knowing the warning signs can help you stay safe, which is why we’re here to remind you of common scam tactics and how they may appear during tax season.
Top Tax Scams and Bad Advice to Watch Out For
- Urgent Emails or Texts – Messages claiming to be from the IRS or your tax preparer often include urgent language like “Your refund is ready” or “Action required.” They may contain links to fake websites designed to steal your credentials.
- Out-of-the-Blue Tax Bills – Fraudsters impersonate IRS agents, threatening arrest or legal action unless you pay immediately—often via gift cards or wire transfers. Rest, assured, the IRS never demands payment this way.
- Fake Charities – Scams may attempt to draw on your sympathies—as well as your tax deductions—by steering you toward charities that don’t exist. Authenticate before you donate.
- Fraudulent Tax Preparers – Some scammers pose as professionals, promising big refunds. They may offer to help you create an IRS account in order to steal personal information; or they may take funnel funds by charging hidden fees or routing your refund to themselves. At a minimum, they may mislead you into filing an incorrect return. Beware of tax preparers who require you to pay cash, don’t offer a receipt, falsify information, or won’t sign the return.
- Influencer Advice – Intentionally or unintentionally, advice via social media may mislead you about credit or refund eligibility. Be cautious of influencers who encourage you to lie on tax forms or incorrectly suggest the IRS is keeping a tax credit secret from you. Social media posts may also be a means of connecting you with scammers.
Be Proactive in Protecting Your Information During Tax Season
Follow the tips below to help stay safe during tax season:
File Early – This reduces the chance of someone filing a return in your name and creates a profile you can use to manage the process.
Store Information Safely – Use extra caution when handling tax documents. For digital documents, use password protection or multifactor authentication when possible. For physical documents, keep paperwork in a secure location and shred anything that is no longer needed.
Verify Requests – Always think before you click. Cyberattacks are designed to catch you off guard and trick you into opening attachments or clicking links impulsively. The IRS will never email, text, or call demanding payment.
Go Direct – The IRS only uses social media to share updates on tax changes, scam alerts and IRS services. They will never send direct messages this way. Type official URLs instead of clicking links in messages.
Don’t add any more stress to your tax season. To help protect your personal information, stop, look, and think.
What to Do If You’re Targeted
If you suspect that you’ve become the target of a scam, don’t hesitate to take these next steps:
- Report phishing emails to reportphishing@irs.gov.
- Forward suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM).
- If you’ve given out personal info, visit identitytheft.gov for recovery steps.
Tax scams aren’t going away, but awareness is your best defense. Share these tips with family, colleagues, and friends, because staying informed is the first step toward staying secure.
What is “phishing” and what does it have to do with information security? Don’t miss our “Security Spotlight” from SouthEast Bank Chief Information Security Officer Joe Littleton:
For more tips, be sure to keep watching the “Security Spotlight” YouTube playlist!
Information contained in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing contained in this blog should be construed as financial, legal or tax advice. An attorney, financial advisor, and/or tax advisor should be consulted for advice based on your circumstances.
Links to other websites or references to services or applications are provided as a convenience only. A link does not imply SouthEast Bank’s sponsorship or approval of any other site, service or application. SouthEast Bank does not control the content of these sites, services or applications.
