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Protect Against Scams This Tax Season


Imagine Chicago residents Edward and Jill Harris's surprise when they tried to schedule an appointment with their tax preparer, only to learn they didn't need one — the IRS told their tax service that the Harrises' taxes were already filed.1

Not only had someone gained access to the Harrises' tax preparation account, but their $10,000 refund had been sent to an unknown bank account. The Harrises had been victims of an account takeover scam without even knowing it. 

Tax season has U.S. residents logging into their financial accounts, receiving sensitive mail, and looking for tax help – all of which provide scammers with opportunities to strike. In a 2025 McAfee survey, 48% of respondents said they or someone they knew had received an email, social media message, phone call, or text falsely claiming to be from the IRS or an official state tax authority.2

From phishing texts to IRS imposter mail, fraudsters use a wide variety of methods to pursue the same goal: scamming the most out of taxpayers. Find out what scams to watch out for this season, and how to protect yourself — and your refund.


Tax Refund Phishing Emails or Texts

What it is: An email or text impersonating the IRS or state tax office claiming your refund is "processed" or "approved."3 The message prompts the victim to click a link to verify their identity and receive the money. The link asks for the victim's Social Security number, bank account numbers and other sensitive information. The scammer uses this info to claim the victim's refund themselves, access the victim's bank account, or steal their identity. 


How to protect yourself:

  • Do not respond to a text or email from the government about your tax refund. The real IRS and state tax offices do not contact taxpayers that way.
  • Do not click on links in any message about the status of your tax refund. To check the status of your refund, either call the IRS directly or use the agency's Check Your Refund tool or the IRS2Go mobile app.4 5
  • Report the message as spam or junk in your email inbox or texting app and delete the message.

Tax mail scams

What it is: An official-looking, heavy-duty envelope that arrives via a delivery service claiming to be from the IRS regarding an unclaimed refund.6 On what appears to be IRS letterhead, the letter requests personal information, including photos of the victim's driver's license. The scammer uses the data to steal the victim's identity. 


How to protect yourself:

  • Be suspicious of any mailing that fits the pattern above. This is not a typical way the IRS would contact a taxpayer. 
  • If you receive mail from the IRS or state tax agency that requests a response, use an internet search to find an accurate phone number for the agency and call to confirm the request is legitimate. 

Tax Relief Scams

What it is: A time-sensitive offer from a supposed tax relief company promising help with an urgent and costly tax issue.7 The message is often left as voicemail, stating that the company can fix the issue for an upfront fee. After receiving the fee and the victim's sensitive data, the scammer disappears. 

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In a 2025 survey, 48% of respondents said they or someone they knew had been contacted by someone claiming to be from the IRS or another tax authority.

How to protect yourself:

  • When a company offers tax-related services, verify its legitimacy through a rigorous online search, including checking the company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) listing, reading reviews, and searching for the company name plus "scam" to see if any accusations arise.8
  • A too-good-to-be-true offer or an urgent deadline are classic signs of a scam. Take extra caution with any tax services that use them.
  • Don't pay upfront for tax relief services. Legitimate services provide service first. 
  • Report any scams you encounter to the BBB via their ScamTracker and the IRS via their Report Fraud page.9 10

'Offer in Compromise' Scam

What it is: A legitimate-looking company advertises that it can help taxpayers who owe large tax payments settle their bill for a fraction of the cost, referencing a legitimate IRS "Offer in Compromise" program.11 Although very few taxpayers qualify, these sham companies charge a fee to apply on the victim's behalf, even when they are clearly ineligible. The company keeps the fee, and the victim not only still owes their taxes in full but also may have missed key deadlines for legitimate tax help opportunities by the time they realize they've been scammed. 

How to protect yourself:


Stay Safe During Tax Season

Tax season is stressful enough without adding the fallout from financial fraud in the middle of it. Protect yourself, your identity and your tax return by being on the lookout for these notorious scams. If you believe you've fallen victim to a tax scam, report the incident to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).15

You can also follow the steps outlined in our guide, "What to Do if You Are a Victim of Fraud," to protect your credit and financial accounts.

Important disclosure information

This content is general in nature and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment advice. You are encouraged to consult with competent legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment professionals based on your specific circumstances. We do not make any warranties as to accuracy or completeness of this information, do not endorse any third-party companies, products, or services described here, and take no liability for your use of this information.

  1. Jason Knowles and Ann Pistone, "Scammers file fake federal tax return with H&R Block online, try to steal family's $10K refund," ABC 7 Eyewitness News. Published February 19, 2024. Accessed February 19, 2026. Back
  2. Jasdev Dhaliwal, "Financial Losses from Tax Scams Top $1,000 on Average—and Gen Z is a Growing Target," McAfee Blog. Published March 6, 2025. Accessed February 18, 2026. Back
  3. Federal Trade Commission, "That text or email about your “tax refund” is a scam," FTC Consumer Advice. Published January 22, 2026. Accessed February 19, 2026. Back
  4. Internal Revenue Service, "Refunds," accessed February 18, 2026. Back
  5. Internal Revenue Service, "IRS2Go mobile app," accessed February 18, 2026. Back
  6. Internal Revenue Service, "IRS, Security Summit partners warn taxpayers of new scam; unusual delivery service mailing tries to trick people into sending photos, bank account information," accessed February 19, 2026. Back
  7. Better Business Bureau, "BBB Scam Alert: Receive a call from someone offering tax relief? It could be a scam," accessed February 19, 2026. Back
  8. Better Business Bureau, accessed February 18, 2026. Back
  9. Better Business Bureau, "Scam Tracker," accessed February 18, 2026. Back
  10. Internal Revenue Service, "Report Fraud," accessed February 8, 2026. Back
  11. Aliss Higham, "Tax Scams To Watch Out for During IRS Filing Season," Newsweek. Published February 4, 2026. Accessed February 19, 2026. Back
  12. Internal Revenue Service, "Offer in compromise," accessed February 8, 2026. Back
  13. Internal Revenue Service, "Offer In Compromise Pre-Qualifier," accessed February 18, 2026. Back
  14. Internal Revenue Service, "Enrolled agent information," accessed February 18, 2026. Back
  15. FBI, "Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)," accessed February 18, 2026. Back