Phishing Scams — How to Recognize IRS Impersonators & Protect Your Information
What This Video Covers
Phishing and smishing top the IRS Dirty Dozen list every year — and for good reason. Scammers have become increasingly sophisticated at impersonating the IRS, using fear of tax liability to pressure people into handing over Social Security numbers, banking information and payments. The most effective defense is knowing exactly how the real IRS communicates — and recognizing immediately when something does not match.
Key topics addressed include:
- What phishing and smishing are and how IRS impersonation scams work
- How the real IRS initiates contact — and what it never does
- The specific red flags that identify a scam communication
- What scammers do with the information they collect
- How to respond if you receive a suspicious call, text or email claiming to be the IRS
- What to do if you have already provided information or made a payment to a scammer
- How to report IRS impersonation scams
- Why legitimate IRS notices always give you time to respond — and who to call if you receive one
Why This Matters
The IRS knows that taxpayers are afraid of it. Scammers know this too — and they exploit that fear deliberately.
An unexpected text message claiming your account has been flagged, a phone call warning that a warrant has been issued for your arrest, an email with an official-looking IRS logo demanding immediate payment — these communications are designed to produce panic and bypass the judgment that would otherwise stop someone from handing over sensitive information to a stranger.
When a communication claims to be from the IRS and does not follow that pattern, it is not from the IRS. The urgency, the threat of immediate consequences, the demand for payment by gift card or wire transfer, the request for your Social Security number over the phone — these are the mechanics of a scam, not the procedures of a federal agency.
Real IRS notices identify the specific tax year and issue involved, provide a response deadline that gives you weeks not minutes, include a phone number you can independently verify, and never demand a single specific payment method.
About the Presenter
Benjamin A. Goldburd, Esq.
Goldburd McCone LLP
Benjamin brings focused experience in IRS collection defense, including lien and levy disputes, CDP hearings and negotiated resolutions. Our team’s combined backgrounds in accounting, business and wealth management ensure that enforcement responses account for the full scope of a client’s financial position.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Employee Retention Credit
How does the IRS actually contact taxpayers?
By mail. The IRS initiates virtually all contact through letters sent to your last known address via the United States Postal Service. If you owe taxes, you receive a notice. If you are being audited, you receive a letter explaining what is being examined. If an IRS Revenue Officer is assigned to your case, you will receive written notice before any in-person contact. The IRS does not initiate contact by email, text message, social media or unsolicited phone call. If you receive any of those, it is not the IRS.
What should I do if I receive a suspicious call or text claiming to be the IRS?
Do not provide any information. Do not click any links. Do not call back the number provided in the message. If you want to verify whether you actually have an issue with the IRS, call the IRS directly using the number on IRS.gov — not any number provided by the suspicious contact.