Because nothing says ‘springtime’ like the smell of fraud in the air, the IRS just dropped their annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams — like clockwork, right before the April 15th deadline.
At the top: fake IRS emails and texts that look oh-so-official, down to the links and QR codes. Then there’s AI-powered phone scams — robo-voices that claim they're from the IRS, demanding “urgent” payments. (Fun fact: the real IRS still prefers good old-fashioned snail mail.)
Fake charities are also back — scammers love to tug at your heartstrings and your wallet, especially after disasters. And if someone online swears there’s a secret “tax hack” that’ll boost your refund, don’t walk… run away.
Other hits on this year’s list include ghost preparers who file returns but “forget” to sign them, and shady “credits” that sound too good to be true — because they are. The takeaway? If it smells scammy, it probably is… and a friendly reminder that the IRS never slides into your DMs.
Here’s the IRS’s full Dirty Dozen list if you want the gory details.
Photo by Supannee U-prapruit on Unsplash