Ahead of this month’s tax deadline, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has compiled a list of the most common scams taxpayers should avoid during filing season.
Tax returns are due in almost all states on April 15, with the exception of Maine and Massachusetts, which are due on April 17 because of state holidays. As Americans make their final preparations, the IRS is issuing a range of warnings in the coming days to help keep taxpayer information safe from criminals.
First issued in 2002, the annual Dirty Dozen campaign lists 12 common scams that taxpayers and professionals should watch out for. For its first installment in 2024, the IRS has warned of “evolving” phishing and smishing scams that aim to steal important information from taxpayers.
Phishing is when a fraudster sends an email pretending to be the IRS that “lures the victims into the scam with a variety of ruses such as enticing victims with a phony tax refund or threatening them with false legal or criminal charges for tax fraud,” according to the IRS.
Smishing uses similar tactics. Sent via SMS messages, a smishing message will use alarming language to make a recipient believe their information or accounts have been compromised, usually providing a bogus solution that can result in sensitive information being stolen.
In both cases, the IRS instructs anyone who receives a suspicious message to “never click on any unsolicited communication claiming to be the IRS” as it could install malware onto a person’s computer or phone. “It may also be a way for malicious hackers to load ransomware that keeps the legitimate user from accessing their system and files,” the agency explains.
Anyone who has been sent a suspicious message is urged to forward the communication to [email protected] and then delete the message from their inbox. If you have inadvertently clicked on links in a suspicious email or website and given up any confidential information, the IRS encourages visiting its identity protection page.
The government agency has also said it will never “initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text or social media regarding a bill or tax refund,” and that most contact is conducted through regular mail.
“Scammers are relentless in their attempts to obtain sensitive financial and personal information, and impersonating the IRS remains a favorite tactic,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.
“People can be anxious to get the latest information about their refund or other tax issues, so scammers frequently try using the IRS as a way to trick people. The IRS urges people to be extra cautious about unsolicited messages and avoid clicking any links in an unsolicited email or text if they are uncertain.”
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