IRS Warns of Smishing and Phishing in Dirty Dozen Tax Scams Campaign

• With the tax filing deadline approaching, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning taxpayers and tax professionals of smishing and phishing scams. It’s part two of their Dirty Dozen tax scams campaign.
• Identity criminals may use phishing (emails claiming to come from a legitimate organization) or smishing (text messages that use the same technique as phishing) to pose as the IRS or states to steal personal and financial information.
• To avoid smishing and phishing scams during the tax season, ignore any tax-related messages that claim to come from the IRS or states, and don’t click on unknown links or attachments to avoid malware or ransomware.
• If you receive a smishing or phishing message, report it to the IRS by sending the email or a copy of the text message as an attachment to [email protected]. You can also report scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
• To learn more about the Dirty Dozen tax scams campaign, click here. If you believe you are the victim of one of the smishing and phishing scams, call the Identity Theft Resource Center toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live-cat on the company website idtheftcenter.org.

The tax filing deadline is approaching, which means the annual appearance of tax scams. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is urging everyone to be on the lookout for smishing and phishing scams aimed at tricking taxpayers about refunds and tax issues. It is part of the IRS’s annual Dirty Dozen tax scams campaign.  

“Email and text scams are relentless, and scammers frequently use tax season as a way of tricking people,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel in a press release. “With people anxious to receive the latest information about a refund or other tax issue, scammers will regularly pose as the IRS, a state tax agency or others in the tax industry in emails and texts. People should be incredibly wary about unexpected messages like this that can be a trap, especially during filing season.”

Who Are the Targets?

Taxpayers and tax professionals

What are Smishing and Phishing?

• Phishing is an email sent by an identity criminal claiming to come from a legitimate organization. The emails look to lure victims into the scam through a variety of ruses. In the case of tax scams, enticing victims with a phony tax refund or scaring them with fake criminal charges for tax fraud.
• Smishing is a text message that uses the same technique as phishing. Criminals often use language like, “Your account has now been put on hold,” or “Unusual Activity Report” with a bogus “Solutions” link to restore the recipient’s account. The IRS says unexpected tax refunds are another potential target for scam artists.

What is the Scam?

In smishing and phishing scams, identity criminals try to steal a taxpayer’s information through scam emails or text messages by posing as legitimate organizations in the tax and financial community, including the IRS and state tax agencies.

What They Want

The criminal’s goal is for the smishing and phishing scams to trick victims into providing valuable personal and financial information that can lead to a variety of identity crimes.

How to Avoid Being Scammed

• Don’t respond to a tax-related text or email. The IRS initiates most contact through regular mail and will never contact anyone by email, text, or social media about a bill or tax refund.
• Don’t click on any links or attachments in a message claiming to be from the IRS. It could load malware or ransomware that keeps you from accessing your systems and files.
• Report any smishing and phishing scams. You can report a tax scam to the IRS by sending the email or a copy of the text message as an attachment to [email protected]. The IRS says the report should include the caller ID (email or phone number), date, time and time zone, and the number that received the message. You can also report scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Contact the ITRC

If you have additional questions about smishing and phishing, the Dirty Dozen tax scams campaign, or believe you were a victim of an identity crime, contact us. You can speak with an Identity Theft Resource Center expert advisor toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live-chat on the company website. Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.