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Advisory: IRS Tax Scams

A common IRS impersonation scam targets individuals associated with educational institutions, specifically students and staff who have a “.edu” email address. The individual receives a phishing email seemingly from “irs.gov” that displays an impressive, yet fake, IRS logo and uses various subject lines, such as “Tax Refund Payment” or “Recalculation of your tax refund payment.” The email directs the individual to click a link and submit personal information to claim their tax refund.

The IRS DOES NOT INITIATE contact with taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information. This includes requests for PIN numbers, passwords, or similar access information for credit cards, banks, or other financial accounts. Visit https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing for more details. If a taxpayer provides an email address to the IRS, the IRS may send an email with information, but the email will not include links to claim a refund or ask for any secure information such as social security number, date of birth, or bank account information. The IRS DOES NOT ACCEPT GIFT CARDS as payment. You know this is a SCAM if you receive a phone call or email claiming that your tax payment is due as a gift card.

Tax scam warning signs

Scammers mislead you about tax refunds, credits and payments. They pressure you for personal, financial or employment information or money. IRS impersonators try to look like us.

Watch out for:

  • A big payday – If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Bad tax advice on social media may convince you to lie on tax forms or mislead you about credits you can claim.
  • Demands or threats – Impersonators want you to pay “now or else.” They threaten arrest or deportation. They don’t let you question or appeal the amount of tax you owe.
  • Website links – Odd or misspelled web links can take you to harmful sites instead of IRS.gov.

Individuals who receive an IRS email scam should:

  • NOT click on any link in the email. Visit the IRS identity protection page if you clicked links in a suspicious email or website and entered confidential information.
  • NOT reply to the email.
  • NOT open any attachments to the email.
  • Send the full email headers or forward the email as-is to [email protected]. Don’t forward screenshots or scanned images of emails because this removes valuable information.
  • Report the scam email to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the FTC Complaint Assistant on FTC.gov. In the notes, they should add “IRS Email scam.”
  • Delete the original email.

Scam Phone Calls Impersonating the IRS

Another common IRS impersonation scam is phone calls from individuals pretending to represent the IRS. The IRS will NEVER:

  • Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will mail a bill to taxpayers who owe taxes.
  • Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.
  • Demand that taxes be paid without allowing taxpayers to question or appeal the amount owed.
  • Call unexpectedly about a tax refund.

Taxpayers who receive scam phone calls should:

For the latest news on scams to avoid, visit the IRS Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts webpage.

Other Resources

The Information Security Team is NOT a Tax Professional or Certified Public Accountant. ANY ADVICE PROVIDED IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. For official information, please visit the IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/.