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The bipartisan leaders of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee raised the alarm tax season scams that fraudsters may be looking to exploit on unsuspecting taxpayers as the filing season draws to a close.
Taxpayers have until Wednesday, April 15, to file their 2025 tax return or request an extension, and fraudsters may take advantage of the deadline to take advantage of taxpayers.
Fraudsters have victimized nearly one in four Americans in tax season scams, which are on the rise, especially during the boom artificial intelligence (AI) and software that enables deepfakes.
The JEC scam alert notes a few tips for taxpayers to keep in mind when dealing with a potential scam. It warns taxpayers to be aware of IRS scams, which can be initiated by phone calls or emails or texts using fake caller ID or addresses while purporting to be the IRS.
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Fraudsters look to exploit taxpayers during the annual filing season. (Stock)
Taxpayers should know that The IRS it almost always initiates communication by post and never reaches social media, as it only writes texts or emails in limited situations and does not do so to demand immediate payment.
If they receive a suspicious message, taxpayers should avoid scanning any QR codes or clicking on links as much as possible. contain malware or send them to a website designed to steal their information.
Contacting people who claim to be from the IRS is urgent or threatening, requests identifying information, or you want payment in non-traditional ways should be a red flag for taxpayers.
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Taxpayers should verify communications from the IRS if they have concerns about what they are being asked to provide. (Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)
If the IRS reaches out, they won’t threaten to call law enforcement officersrequest a taxpayer’s driver’s license or business license, request immediate payment with gift cards, wire transfers or crypto, or direct the taxpayer to a non-IRS website.
Taxpayers can confirm communications intended to be from the IRS by reaching the agency directly by calling the IRS help line at 800-829-1040 or by creating an IRS account online to access the latest information on their tax records.
If they are concerned about the website they are on, they should make sure it is an actual IRS website and not a fake website, which can be detected by suspicious signs such as subtle misspellings or extra letters or words in the website’s URL.
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The IRS will usually contact you by mail first, and will not call or text to ask for payment or personal information. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Third-party tax preparation scams are also something taxpayers should be aware of when working with tax services or other non-IRS tax organizations.
Taxpayers should be wary of tax preparers who demand high upfront payments or guarantee large refunds. They should also research companies they don’t know by using sites like the Business Bureau, or verify the preparer’s requirements Preparer Tax Identity Number (PTIN) on the IRS website and avoid preparers who refuse to provide their PTIN.
Fraudsters may also want to pretend to be reputable tax preparation companies, so taxpayers should confirm unexpected communications by calling the number on the company’s official website.
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Scam alert issued by bicameral Joint Economic Committeeincluding leaders from both the House and Senate on both sides of the party line.
The panel is chaired by JEC Chairman Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz.; Senior Member Sen. Maggie Hassan, DN.H.,; Vice Chairman Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; and Senior House Democrat Don Beyer of Virginia issued a warning to taxpayers on Thursday.
