Tax season 2023: IRS warns of phishing email and text scams regarding refunds

The IRS has cautioned taxpayers to be on alert for scams related to taxes during the tax season through emails and text messages.

As the deadline for filing taxes for the year 2022 approaches, taxpayers should be aware of phishing and smishing scams. Phishing is an email from fraudsters who pretend to be the IRS or another tax or financial organization, and smishing is the same but via text messages, as stated by the IRS in a warning on Tuesday.

“Email and text scams are relentless, and scammers frequently use tax season as a way of tricking people,” stated IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. He further added that people should be exceedingly cautious about unexpected messages that can be a trap, especially during filing season.

In the event of receiving such scams through email or messaging, taxpayers should never click on any unsolicited communication. The links included in the messages may contain malware or ransomware that hackers can use to prevent users from accessing their systems and files.

The IRS usually contacts people by mail and never initiates contact with taxpayers by email, text, or social media related to a bill or tax refund. The IRS’s warning about phishing and smishing scams is part of the “dirty dozen” list that the IRS issues each year to caution taxpayers about scams that occur during tax season.

The majority of taxpayers have a deadline of April 18 to file taxes, while some disaster-affected states have set their deadline for later in the year. Those who have already filed and are awaiting their refunds can utilize a tool available on the IRS’s website to ascertain when they’ll receive it.

Additional details regarding the tax scams that the IRS has warned about can be found on the official website of the IRS.