As the April 15 deadline nears, watch for fake refund notices, “final warnings” and too-good-to-be-true tax help.
The last weeks before the April 15 tax deadline are busy for scammers too. They play on time pressure, promising refunds or threatening penalties to get personal details, payments or access to your accounts.
What to watch for
- Texts or emails saying you're owed a refund, with a link to “claim” it
- “Final notice” messages demanding immediate payment
- Messages pretending to be from tax software or a tax preparer, asking you to sign in or confirm details
- Social media offers of tax tricks or credits that sound too good to be true
- Requests for W-2s or payroll details from “HR” or “the CEO”
What to do
- Don't click links in unexpected tax messages. Go to irs.gov or your tax software by typing the address yourself.
- Check any request for payroll or tax documents by calling the person on a number you already have.
- Use a preparer you know, who signs your return with their own Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN).
Got one at work? Report it in Outlook using Report > Report phishing. Forward IRS-themed phishing to phishing@irs.gov.
