IRS Scams: How To Spot Imposters Coming For Your Money Through Phone calls and Emails

It’s tax season. And as citizens, we all have to pay taxes. But as you prepare your financial reports and statement for the past year and submit your tax returns, you need to be aware of a new scam in town – the IRS scam emails!

Yes, these scams are real, and they’re growing in numbers. The threat actors send phishing emails or text messages claiming to have calculated your fiscal activity. They then ask you to fill out an application form or pay an advance to get a stimulus check. Luckily, you can detect IRS email scams and other stimulus check-related scams and avoid falling victim. 

This article details the IRS scam emails, including what they are, what you should look out for, what to do if you become a victim, and more

Feel free to jump ahead!

Avoid IRS Scams Online

Socialcatfish.com allows you to verify anyone, someone, using just a few pieces of information. If you’re suspicious about someone you’re talking to online, running a simple reverse search on them can tell you exactly who they really are. take this as an opportunity to get peace of mind. Use the search bar below to run your first search today.

IRS Scam Phone Calls

IRS scams are one of the most common phone scams out there. This is because scammers like to pose as authority figures. They do this so their potential victims don’t question them once they request money or demand sensitive information, but there are a few red flags that can give away an IRS scammer.

IRS Scams To Watch out for

Let’s face it: being victimized by a scammer will leave you feeling ashamed and foolish. But you don’t have to be a victim of any scam, especially not the stimulus payment-related scams.

Here are four stimulus payment-related scams to look out for:

1. Fake stimulus checks

Today, the threat actors have raised their stealing game. They’ll send a physical stimulus check that resembles the government-issued check. They’ll then claim to have overpaid and ask for a refund.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions the citizens that the IRS will never ask you to deposit your stimulus check or request refunds. Thus, if you receive such checks, they are from fraud actors.

Also, if you receive a stimulus check in the mail before late April, it’s probably from scammers. IRS needs several weeks to mail out stimulus checks. Plus, the IRS is forgoing the physical checks. So, be wary of the checks you get and verify their authenticity if you’re not sure about the source.

2. IRS scam emails and text messages

If you’re awaiting your stimulus payment, you might receive an email, text messages, or social media DM’s claiming to be from the IRS. The emails or texts might request you to click on a link or fill out an application to verify your information. 

But don’t click on the link or fill out any information – it’s a scam! These are scam actors looking to collect your personal and financial information and use it to commit identity theft!

According to the FTC, the IRS will never contact you by email, text messages, or social media asking for your Social Security number or other personal information. Also, IRS won’t send links to you!

3. Robocalls 

The threat actors may also contact you on a robocall while pretending to be IRS officials. The scammer will tell you that you must pay an upfront fee to receive your stimulus check in some of these recorded rather than live calls.

4. IRS Scam Emails

This phishing email scam involves a fake stimulus check that appears to come from the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). The scam actors trick their targets into giving their personal or financial information or making an advance payment to receive the stimulus check.

4. Websites

The scammers have developed fake websites, which they use to steal from innocent citizens. You must not click on IRS scam emails or text messages, as doing so can lead you to fake websites that can download malware into your device. 

5. Detecting and reporting the IRS scam emails

The IRS threat actors are increasingly becoming sophisticated and difficult to spot. However, most of them still use key phrases in their phishing emails. 

Here are truths and key phrases to look out for to detect the IRS email scams:

1. The scammers will use the words ‘Stimulus Payment’ or ‘Stimulus Check’ in the emails while asking for your information. IRS uses the term ‘economic impact payment’ instead.
2. Offer you a tax refund or faster payment. The scammer will claim to be working with IRS and tell you that you have a tax refund.
3. The scam actors will email you a fake stimulus check. This could be an amount that doesn’t match your income level.
4. The threat actor will request your personal or banking information or ask you to verify it. IRS will never ask you to do this.
5. The scammer might send you a link through email and ask you to click it to ‘verify’ your information

Report IRS scams to [email protected] or go to IdentityTheft.gov. Here, you’ll get the steps to follow based on your stolen data or information. You can also verify the source of suspicious IRS emails. 

If you receive a physical stimulus check, visit IRS.gov and search on the notice, letter, or form number. But be aware that scammers often alter legitimate IRS forms and letters, making it hard to detect them. You may use a reverse image/contact search firm to verify the sender’s authenticity in such an instance. 

For example, you may enlist the services of Social Catfish to verify the legitimacy of an IRS email. All you need is basic information such as the sender’s email address or other contact information.

The Bottom Line

IRS scam emails are on the rise in the US and beyond, calling for citizens to be alert. The best way to avoid being a victim of a tax scam, socialcatfish.com can help you verify identities with just a few pieces of information. Use the search bar below to run a search today.