In July, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published Fact Sheet 2022-33. This publication is designed to assist taxpayers in knowing whether an individual who contacts them is from the IRS or is a fraudster.
The IRS is concerned because there are continuing phone, text, email and in-person scams taking place. The agency emphasizes that it normally sends a letter or written notice to a taxpayer and generally does not initiate contact through phone, text or email.
With a growing number of fraudsters and scammers seeking to locate victims, it is important for individuals to be able to separate legitimate IRS staff from imposters. All taxpayers should understand basic ways to protect themselves from fraudulent text messages, emails, phone contacts or in-person visits.
Text Messages: The IRS does not send text messages to individuals with shortened links. The scammers will frequently send a text message that includes a bogus link. If you receive an unexpected text, you should not click on links or open attachments. If you do receive a suspicious text message, you should send a screen shot of it as an attachment to phishing@irs.gov.
Email Scams: The IRS does not ask for personal or financial information with an initial contact by email. The standard IRS contact will be through several letters by regular mail. The suspicious email should also be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov. There is a “Report Phishing and Online Scams” page on IRS.gov with specific instructions.
Individuals Who…
