It’s tax season, but it’s also scam season.
According to the IRS, one out of every four Americans has been the victim of a tax-related scam.
And it cost victims $5.5 billion in 2023.
With Artificial Intelligence becoming more and more common, cyber security experts are warning Americans about sophisticated tax scams.
“More sophisticated, more convincing. And there are tools out there that are free, or almost free, that are very high quality. AI tools are getting better all the time. So, attackers are learning how to use those,” said Cliff Steinhauer with the National Cybersecurity Alliance.
According to Guardio [guard.io], a cybersecurity company, Americans have seen a 244% increase in IRS and tax-related spam messages since the beginning of the year, with February being the peak month for tax-related scams.
How to spot a scam:
According to the IRS and cybersecurity experts, you should watch out for:
- A big payday. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Tax advice from unknown sources. Trolls or threat actors on social media may try to convince you to lie on tax forms or mislead you about credits you can claim. If you have questions, consult the IRS or professionals you know.
- Demands or threats. Impersonators want you to pay “now or else.” They threaten arrest or deportation. They won’t let you question or appeal the amount of tax you owe.
- Website links. Odd or misspelled web links can take you to harmful sites instead of IRS.gov.
Protecting yourself from scams ahead of tax day
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