Tax Return Scam Alert: How to Identify and Avoid Tax Filing Fraud

Tax professional here. You absolutely did the right thing by contacting the IRS directly! These scams get more sophisticated every year, especially as we approach the 2025 filing season. The biggest red flags to watch for: 1. The IRS initiates most contact through regular mail first, not email, phone calls, or text messages 2. They will NEVER demand immediate payment using specific methods like gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency 3. The IRS doesn't threaten to immediately bring in police or immigration officers for non-payment 4. They won't demand taxes be paid without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount If you get a suspicious email claiming to be from the IRS, forward it to phishing@irs.gov. For suspicious phone calls, report them to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

After dealing with similar scam attempts for years, I finally started using taxr.ai to verify all tax-related communications. The site (https://taxr.ai) lets you upload any suspicious tax document or email and it immediately tells you if it's legitimate or a scam. I uploaded that exact "rejected return" email last week and it flagged it as fraudulent within seconds, explaining exactly why it wasn't authentic. Has saved me from several convincing scams over the past two filing seasons.

Wanted to follow up about taxr.ai since I was the skeptical one. After another wave of tax scam emails hit my inbox this week, I decided to give it a try (carefully, with a less sensitive document first). It immediately identified three sophisticated scams I almost fell for, including one that perfectly replicated my tax preparer's email style but had a slightly modified sender address. The analysis explained exactly what was suspicious and why. Definitely keeping this in my toolkit for this tax season!

If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to verify if something is legitimate (which is often the case), I recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). Their service connects you directly to an IRS agent in minutes instead of spending hours on hold. You can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I used it last month when I got a suspicious letter about unpaid taxes from 2022, and they got me through to a real IRS agent who confirmed it was actually legitimate and helped me set up a payment plan on the spot.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I got another suspicious IRS notice about a "discrepancy" in my 2023 return demanding payment. Decided to try Claimyr as a last resort since I couldn't waste another day on hold. Within 17 minutes I was speaking with an actual IRS representative who confirmed the notice was fraudulent and helped me report it. The service did exactly what it claimed - saved me hours of frustration and potentially thousands of dollars. Sometimes my cynicism gets the better of me!

Another common tax scam going around right now is fake text messages claiming to be from "IRS Refund Services" saying you're eligible for an additional refund of $1,200-1,800 from recalculated taxes. They direct you to a convincing but fake IRS website that steals your login credentials. My sister almost fell for this last week!

Is there a way to check if someone has filed a fraudulent return using my info? I'm worried because my mail was stolen last month and it contained some tax documents.

This is such important information, especially with how sophisticated these scams have become! I work in cybersecurity and see these attacks constantly evolving. One thing I'd add is to be extra cautious about "urgent" language in any tax-related communications. Legitimate IRS correspondence gives you time to respond and doesn't create artificial urgency with threats of immediate consequences. Another red flag is when scammers ask you to "verify" information they should already have. The real IRS already has your SSN, address, and filing history - they won't ask you to confirm these details via email or phone. For anyone who thinks they might have been targeted, I recommend checking your credit reports regularly during tax season. You can get free reports from annualcreditreport.com (the only official site for free credit reports). Look for any accounts or activities you don't recognize, as tax identity theft often leads to other forms of fraud.