Summary
The IRS is warning Americans to watch out for scams as the tax filing deadline approaches. These scams often involve impersonating IRS officials or giving misleading tax advice, which can lead to identity theft and financial loss.
Key Facts
- The IRS issued a "Dirty Dozen" list highlighting the top tax scams for 2026.
- Scammers often pretend to be IRS officials and contact people by email, text, or phone.
- The IRS advises that they never contact taxpayers through unsolicited emails or texts asking for personal information.
- Fraudsters may use social media to spread false tax advice that could lead to audits or penalties.
- Some scams involve creating fake charities to steal money and personal information.
- The IRS warns about "ghost preparers" who file returns dishonestly and then disappear.
- AI-enabled scams and robocalls impersonate IRS officials to demand immediate payment.
- The IRS advises using only IRS.gov for creating online accounts to avoid identity theft.
