Don’t Fall for Scam Calls and Emails Posing as IRS

Scammers and cyberthieves continue to use the IRS as bait. The most common tax scams are phone calls and emails from thieves who pretend to be from the IRS. Scammers use the IRS name, logo, fake employee names and badge numbers to try to steal money and identities from taxpayers.

IRS Alerts Taxpayers about Refund Scam

The IRS warns taxpayers of a new twist on an old scam. Criminals are depositing fraudulent tax refunds into individuals’ actual bank accounts, then attempting to reclaim the refund from the taxpayers.

Steps Victims Can Take to Minimize Effect of Data Theft

Every day, the theft of personal and financial information puts people at risk of identity theft. Generally, thieves try to use the stolen data as quickly as possible to:

Sell the information to other criminals
Withdraw money from a bank account
Make credit card purchases
File a fraudulent tax return for a refund using victims’ names