IRS warns citizens of rise in scams amid tax season
(WHTM) — In tonight's 'Show Me The Money,' it's tax filing season, and the IRS is warning of an increase in tax-related scams. An expert can help you avoid becoming a victim.
Jennifer Hessing is the fraud analytics director at Wells Fargo. She says to be on the lookout for 'Ghost Preparers,' fraudsters posing as tax preparers often promising larger refunds, tax credits, or benefits that in the end you don't qualify for.
'They are getting more money back,' said Hessing. 'They'll give you your portion and then they take the rest of it. And so it ends up being falsified tax documents, and the consumers are having to deal with the repercussions of that.'
Being asked to sign a blank or partial return is a huge red flag. If you hire someone to do your taxes make sure they are reputable by doing your research and verifying their preparer tax identification number on the IRS website.
Phishing scams are also common during tax time.
'Identity theft is really a year-round scheme,' said Hessing. 'But this time of year the bad guys put a little twist on it. It's tax season, so they alter their scam language to be specific to taxes like getting your max refund or resetting your password on your tax prep software.'
Don't trust any email, text, or phone call that asks for your personal data.
'Their ultimate goal is to steal your identity, or maybe your username and password,' said Hessing. 'If they can get into your tax prep software, or your bank, or your email, that's gold.'
Some scammers may try to impersonate the IRS and even threaten you but know the IRS only communicates with taxpayers by mail.
'They won't be saying that you'll be deported or put in jail for not paying this bill by the end of the day.'
Requests for unusual payment methods such as prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or cryptocurrency are also telltale signs of a scam. Protect yourself from fraud by requesting an identity protection pin number from the IRS website to include with your return.
'So the IRS knows that's you on the other side.'
File your taxes electronically to prevent thieves from stealing your return or checks from your mailbox. Enroll in identity theft protection and two-factor identification for tax filing software, and don't make things easy for fraudsters.
Experts also say a good way to avoid being scammed is doing your taxes early. The longer you wait, the more opportunities scammers have to steal your identity and file on your behalf. For more information about avoiding being scammed, and what to do if you are, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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