The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released a list of warnings to protect the public from tax season scams.
- Be vigilant of any unexpected communication purportedly from the IRS at the start of tax season (January 31).
- Don’t fall for phone and phishing email scams that use the IRS as a lure. Thieves often pose as the IRS using a bogus refund scheme or warnings to pay past-due taxes.
- The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of e-communication, such as text messages and social media channels.
- The IRS doesn’t ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential information for credit card, bank or other accounts.
- If you get an unexpected email, don’t open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the email to phishing@irs.gov. For more about how to report phishing scams involving the IRS visit the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.
