Key Takeaways
- The IRS does not initiate first contact by phone, text, email, or social media. Initial contact is generally made by mail.
- A message demanding immediate payment, threatening arrest, or asking for gift cards, crypto, or banking information is a scam.
- Bad tax advice on social media can cost you real money through denied refunds, penalties, delays, and audits.
- The safest move is to verify everything through IRS.gov or through a trusted tax professional before you click, reply, pay, or share information.
Your phone buzzes. It’s a text message:
“IRS Alert: Your tax refund is on hold. Click here to verify your identity and avoid enforcement.”
Between urgent texts and aggressive phone calls to TikTok tax gurus promising massive refunds from secret credits, scammers are getting more creative and more difficult to detect.
Just to put the problem in perspective: In a recent study, 17% of taxpayers encountered a tax scam in 2025, and those who fell victim to it suffered an average loss of $8,401.
So, to help you stay protected, I’m pulling back the curtain on six of the biggest scams circulating this year and the warning signs you need to watch for.
1. Fake news on social media
Some of the worst tax advice people now receive comes through short videos and posts on social media. (Even some of my McCracken County clients have come to me asking about something that came through their feed.)
The advice being given in these videos isn’t just incomplete. In a lot of cases, it’s flat out wrong. And sometimes what’s said is structured to get people to file claims they don’t understand on forms they were never eligible to use in the first place.
That can lead to a whole host of problems, including delayed refunds, IRS notices, penalties, audits, and even identity theft issues if too much personal information gets shared in the process.
A few examples that you might have seen come across your Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok feeds:
- False Fuel Tax Credit claims. This credit is narrowly targeted and probably doesn’t apply to you if you’re not self-employed. Yet social media promoters have pushed it like it’s a broad refund opportunity for everyone.
- Improper sick leave and family leave credit claims. These credits applied only to certain self-employed individuals, and only for specific pandemic-era tax years. A lot of people were encouraged to file for them even though they weren’t self-employed, or to claim the credits for years they didn’t apply to.
- The “self-employment tax credit.” There is no general credit by that name, even though promoters often use the label as if it were established tax law.
- Overstated withholding schemes. Some promoters have encouraged taxpayers to file returns showing fake wages, fake withholding, or even nonexistent employers to generate a refund.
Basically, if a social media post tells you there is a little-known refund opportunity “they don’t want you to know about,” use caution. Tax law is full of complexity, but it’s not a treasure hunt.
2. IRS messages
The IRS does not contact you out of the blue by text message, email, or direct message on social media. As a reminder, the primary way the IRS will contact you is by sending an official letter to your Paducah home.
So, if you receive a message that says your refund is on hold, your account needs to be verified, or you need to click a link to avoid enforcement, don’t respond.
That’s a scammer trying to get you to hand over information or install something on your device.
Just to put this in perspective, the IRS reported over 600 social media impersonators in 2025, sending IRS-related direct messages.
These messages are designed to look convincing. They will use fake website names, IRS-style language, and legitimate-looking links. Some even include a phone number and tell you to call for help. (Don’t do it.)
These messages are usually trying to:
- Get you to enter your Social Security number, banking information, or login credentials
- Trick you into clicking a fake refund or account-verification link
- Install malware on your phone, tablet, or computer
- Push you into calling a scam number where someone pretends to “help”
Do not click, do not reply, and do not call the number in the message. If you think there might be something to check, go directly to the official IRS website yourself (not through the link).
3. IRS phone calls
Will the IRS ever call you on the phone?
In very rare situations, the IRS may call you, but it will always first be preceded by a written notice sent by mail to your Paducah home. For example, an IRS employee may call to confirm an appointment or discuss an issue connected to an audit. Certain private collection agencies authorized by the IRS may also call about specific inactive tax debts.
But in all of these situations, you’ll receive written notices by mail first.
So, if someone calls claiming to be from the IRS and starts talking aggressively about overdue taxes, legal consequences, or urgent payment, you should assume it’s fraudulent.
Things the IRS will never do on an unexpected phone call:
- Demand immediate payment over the phone
- Ask for payment by gift card, prepaid debit card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer
- Threaten to send local police or law enforcement to arrest you
- Demand payment without giving you a chance to question or appeal the amount
- Ask for sensitive financial information like bank routing numbers or full credit card details
4. Charity scams
Warning signs of a fake charity include:
- Pressure to donate immediately
- Requests for cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
- Refusal to send written information
- Evasive answers about how the funds will actually be used
- Claims that you already pledged a donation when you did not
And don’t rely on a legit-looking caller ID. Scam callers can make it look like they are calling from a familiar organization or a local number.
If you suspect there’s foul play, tell the caller to send information by mail or direct you to the charity’s official website. Then, verify the organization independently before giving anything.
Also, if the organization claims your donation is tax-deductible, confirm that status through the IRS’s tax-exempt organization search tool.
5. IRS Online Account hacking
Scammers can use your stolen personal information to try to open or access your IRS online account. Or, they can pose as a helper, offering to set up the account for you while collecting the information to hijack it.
Once a criminal has enough of your personal data, they may be able to interfere with your tax filings, redirect information, or create a much larger identity theft problem.
So, it’s important to adhere to a few smart guardrails:
- Create your IRS account directly through IRS.gov
- Do not use links from unsolicited texts, emails, or social messages
- Do not let an unknown third party help you set it up
- Use strong login credentials and keep your device security current
6. Form 2439 abuse
Form 2439 is an official IRS notice for shareholders of long-term capital gains, but it’s currently being used by scammers to create fake tax credits.
In the right context, Form 2439 can allow certain shareholders of regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts to claim credit for taxes paid on undistributed long-term capital gains.
But scammers have been using it to create inflated or completely fabricated claims.
Sometimes the claim is tied to organizations that are not legitimate investment funds or REITs at all. In other cases, the scam may reference real, recognizable organizations even though the taxpayer has no actual basis for the claim.
The IRS has warned that improper claims in this area can lead to refund delays and denied credits at best, and audits, penalties, and enforcement action at worst.
IRS vs scammers
Just to sum things up, here’s a quick comparison of how the IRS operates vs how scammers will interact with you:
| IRS Communication | Scammer Tactics | |
| Initial Contact | Always via official U.S. Mail | Text, Email, or Social Media DM |
| Payment Methods | Standard tax payment channels | Gift cards, Crypto, or Wire transfers |
| Threats & Tone | Professional and provides appeal rights | Threats of arrest or police involvement |
| Social Media | Does not use DMs for tax issues | Post about tax hacks and secret credits |
| Information Asked | Verified via official forms | Demands SSN or bank info via link |
| Voicemails | Professional follow-ups for cases | Urgent, automated robocall voices |
Final thoughts
These scams are designed to do one thing: bypass your better judgment by creating a sense of panic.
Whether it’s a “secret” social media tax hack or a high-pressure phone call, the goal is to get you to act before you think.
My job is to be the barrier between you and these threats. So if you receive a message or see a too-good-to-be-true video, don’t engage with it. You can send it to me instead.
We don’t rely on luck or viral loopholes to handle your taxes. We rely on verified IRS protocols and professional standards to keep your identity and your money safe.
If you’ve encountered something suspicious or you’re ready to file with a partner you can trust, let’s get you on the calendar:
FAQs
“How can you spot a fake IRS notice?”
A legitimate IRS notice will always have a specific notice number (like CP14 or LTR 5071C) in the top right corner. Scams usually lack this or use high-pressure language (“Final Warning” or “Arrest Warrant”) that the IRS doesn’t use. If a notice asks you to pay a third party or uses an unusual method like a gift card or wire transfer, it’s a fake.
“How will the IRS contact you?”
The IRS always makes its first contact via official mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Now, will the IRS ever call you on the phone? While they may follow up with a phone call or a rare in-person visit (for audits or specific collections), you’ll always receive a paper trail in the mail first. They will never initiate contact via text, email, or social media DM.
“Does the IRS leave voicemails?”
While an individual IRS agent might leave a professional voicemail to schedule an appointment or follow up on an ongoing case, they will never leave an automated message that threatens you with arrest, lawsuits, or the suspension of your Social Security number. If the voicemail sounds like a robocall or uses an urgent, computer-generated voice, it’s a scam.
“What are the warning signs of fake charity scams?”
The biggest red flag is urgency. Scammers want a donation “right now.” Be wary if they refuse to send you written information or insist on payment via wire transfer or gift cards.
“What is bad tax advice on social media?”
On platforms like TikTok or Instagram, bad advice usually takes the form of a secret hack or a loophole the IRS doesn’t want you to know about. This includes claiming credits you don’t qualify for or inventing credits that don’t exist.
“How do I fix identity theft with the IRS?”
If you suspect your tax identity has been stolen (for example, you try to e-file and it’s rejected because a return was already filed in your name), you should immediately file IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. This alerts the IRS to secure your account. You should also visit IdentityTheft.gov to create a recovery plan and request an IP PIN (Identity Protection Personal Identification Number) for future filings.
“What is Form 2439 for shareholders?”
Form 2439 is a legitimate form used by mutual funds (RICs) or Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to report undistributed long-term capital gains. Essentially, it means the fund made a profit but kept it to reinvest rather than sending you a check. They pay the tax on that profit for you, and you get a credit for that tax on your return. Scammers abuse this form by making up fake investment gains to trigger a large (but fraudulent) tax credit.
