Beware of Phishing Scams During Tax Season

Author: Jeff Weeks, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer

As tax season approaches, cybercriminals ramp up their efforts to deceive taxpayers through phishing emails, text messages, and phone calls. These scams aim to steal personal and financial information and money by impersonating the IRS. Understanding how the IRS communicates and recognizing the signs of phishing can help protect you from falling victim to these schemes.

How the IRS Will Contact You

The IRS primarily contacts taxpayers through official letters sent via the U.S. Postal Service. Representatives may also reach out by phone, but only after sending a letter first. Here are some key points about IRS communication:

• Official Letters: The IRS will send a letter or notice before any other form of contact.
• Phone Calls: If necessary, the IRS may call you, but this will follow an official letter.
• In-Person Visits: In rare cases, IRS agents may visit your home or business, but this is usually preceded by multiple letters and phone calls.

The IRS will never initiate contact with taxpayers through the following methods:

• Email: The IRS does not send unsolicited emails requesting personal or financial information.
• Text Messages: The IRS does not send text messages asking for personal or financial details.
• Social Media: The IRS does not use social media channels to request information or notify you of issues.

Telltale Signs of Phishing Emails and Text Messages

• Urgency: Phishing emails attempt to get you to act without careful consideration. They usually do this by creating a sense of urgency to prompt immediate action with an underlying threat of penalties, jail or prison time.
• Suspicious Links: Hover over the link to see the actual URL. If it doesn't lead to an official IRS website (irs.gov), it's a phishing attempt.
• Generic Greeting: Legitimate IRS communications will usually include your name and other identifying information.
• Spelling and Grammar Errors: Phishing emails often contain mistakes that are uncommon in official IRS correspondence.

• Too Good to Be True: Promises of unexpected refunds or benefits are common tactics used by scammers.
• Demands, Threats, and Gift Cards: The IRS will not send you a letter, text, or email demanding immediate payment, threaten jail or imprisonment, and will not ask you to pay with gift cards.

Protect Yourself

To protect yourself from phishing scams, follow these tips:

• Verify the Source: If you are unsure of the legitimacy of any communication claiming to be from the IRS, contact the agency directly through official channels to verify the communication was from the IRS.
• Do Not Click Links: Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unsolicited emails or text messages.
• Report Phishing: Forward phishing emails to phishing@irs.gov and report phishing text messages to the same email address. You can also report phishing text messages of any kind to your carrier by forwarding the phishing message to 7726.

Stay vigilant this tax season and protect your personal and financial information from cybercriminals. Check out the following links for more information.

References

• Report phishing - Internal Revenue Service
• How to Spot (And Handle) A Fake IRS Letter | Bench Accounting
• How to forward the header of a phishing email - Internal Revenue Service
• Recognize tax scams and fraud | Internal Revenue Service
• Know the warning signs of a tax scam | Internal Revenue Service
• Let us help you | Internal Revenue Service
• Contact your local IRS office | Internal Revenue Service
• IRS Contact Information: Get All Your Tax Questions Answered
• IRS reports significant increase in texting scams; warns taxpayers to ...
• Here's How To Avoid IRS Text Message Scams - YouTube video text script
• IRS Scam Text Message: How to Avoid 'Smishing' - Newsweek

About the Author

Jeff has been with First National Bank of Omaha for more than 26 years and is currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer. The executive leadership and oversight provided by Jeff in the development, management, and execution of information security for FNBO enables the company’s ability to posture and protect private, personal information, and assets of the company’s clients, employees, and business partners.