Many tax scams also advertise big payouts, but at a price. Some “ghost” preparers, for example, will charge you for preparing your tax return — often with promises of maximizing your refund — but never sign it. They may then file a fraudulent return in your name, with an inflated income or fake deductions to boost the refund, and switch the bank account listed to claim your money.
Tax scams can be all the more convincing if they meet the moment. And this year, experts warn that cyber criminals or “social engineers” might take particular advantage of uncertainty around the IRS cuts.
“Uncertainty is probably one of the biggest motivating emotions that social engineers take advantage of,” said Dave Chronister, a prominent “ethical hacker” and CEO of Parameter Security, noting that scammers might use news of these cuts and impersonate the IRS to falsely promise taxpayers “new” ways of filing.
Similar tactics emerged during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and following legitimate rounds of federal aid — with some scammers making false claims about additional stimulus checks, for example.
Tax scams can be all the more convincing if they meet the moment. And this year, experts warn that cyber criminals or “social engineers” might take particular advantage of uncertainty around the IRS cuts.
Scams are also becoming more sophisticated, most recently thanks to the rising adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Experts warn that this technology is being used create “hyper-realistic” phishing messages, including video or audio deepfakes, and can allow scammers to target more people at once through automation.
File as soon as you can.
Nobody is eager to sit down and do their taxes, but getting it out of the way early — and before any scammers potentially try to file something in your name — makes a huge difference, Chronister explains. He adds that taxpayers can play it safe by sticking to what they know.
“If you’ve always been using TurboTax, use TurboTax. If you always use an accountant, use your accountant,” Chronister said. He notes that you should also keep your information safe by password-protecting any past filings downloaded to your device and using a VPN when on public Wi-Fi.
The IRS also suggests setting up an identity protection PIN, a six-digit number that can help protect you from someone else filing in your name. You can also freeze your credit — which experts recommend as an added line of defense against future identity theft and fraud, even if you haven’t been scammed. Freezing your credit prevents any new credit accounts from being created in your name. And you can always temporarily “unfreeze” if a check is needed to rent an apartment or apply for a loan. Credit freezes can be set up through three nationwide credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
And, again, remember that the IRS won’t randomly contact you by email, text or phone. When in doubt, go to the official IRS website and reach out directly.
Avoiding scams can also come down to pausing before you click or act on anything. “Take a breath, count to 10 and then go, ‘OK … is this too good to be true?’” Chronister sad. “‘Is my gut telling me something is off?’”
Chronister adds that social engineering is about emotion, not intelligence — and anyone can fall for it.
“It’s human to fall for these (scams),” he said. “They’ve been here since the beginning of mankind … So you have to stay vigilant, but don’t panic. Just keep your gut check going.”
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Associated Press
One comment
Michael K
March 24, 2025 at 6:41 pm
Laying off IRS employees at the busiest time of the year is not rooting out “fraud” and “inefficiency” and cost-cutting. It is stupid. The only bright spot, thanks to the previous administration, is that Florida taxpayers can now use a new free software program and fogo Turn Tax.