Taxpayers Beware: IRS Warns of Holiday Season Scams and Fraudsters
You probably don’t expect to hear much from the IRS before the 2025 tax filing season officially begins in January. However, as we find ourselves in the final days of the holiday shopping season, the IRS is warning shoppers to be aware of scams during the holiday season.
Scammers thrive in an environment where consumers are squandering their money, and more money is better for them, making the holiday season an especially ideal hunting ground. Adobe says Holiday online spending is on the rise so far in 2024, with 2023 spending expected to be approximately 8% higher than 2023. The FBI has issued a warning Consumers about Scams during the holidaysspecifically calling out practices like gift card scams that the IRS has been sounding the alarm about.
“The holiday shopping season and the upcoming tax filing season create an attractive target for identity thieves and scam artists,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in the report. Statement of December 2. “Taxpayers should take extra care this holiday season to protect their valuable personal and financial information, whether shopping online or clicking on links in emails and other messages. Taking extra care can protect taxpayers’ confidential information and reduce the risk of identity theft Risk. Upcoming application season.”
Read on for details on the IRS’s latest warning. For more on holiday shopping, find out how many shoppers there are Credit is expected to be used for purchases this year and Get some tips for safe online shopping.
Beware of IRS Scammers Asking for Gift Cards
in a posted to its official government websitethe IRS warns holiday shoppers not to “let scammers ruin holiday gift card giving.” Gift cards are a common aspect of many modern scams: criminals will often ask for gift cards in lieu of actual currency, as they are often exchangeable for their exact cash value and are nearly untraceable.
The IRS is specifically warning people to be wary of scammers who try to impersonate IRS officers or other government officials, who may ask targets to provide gift cards of a certain value to pay off outstanding debts. There are other signs that such a demand is a scam: Scammers may insist on immediate payment, and they may threaten to involve law enforcement or other such entities if their demands are not met. A favorite tactic of scammers is to make people think they are in trouble and must act quickly, as this can lead people to make rash decisions.
The IRS emphasizes that it will never “require immediate payment using certain payment methods such as gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or wire transfers.” The agency usually first informs taxpayers by mail how much they owe and always provides an opportunity to appeal the amount.
Watch out for false delivery alerts
Although not directly related to taxes, the IRS issued a warning to consumers about fake package shipments. These messages (usually emails or text messages) falsely claim that a package ordered by the intended victim has encountered a problem in transit and provide a link that purportedly corrects the problem. In fact, the link “represents a form of phishing that attempts to steal personal information or download malware.” The IRS explains.
To protect yourself from these phishing attempts, never click on any links contained in such emails. If you would like to confirm the condition of your package, please check its status directly using the shipping company’s official tracking tool or call their customer support line. These resources will help you get straight answers without putting your personal information at risk.
What if I suspect I’ve discovered a scam?
The IRS encourages victims, scammers, or those who suspect they have been scammed to report it to the Treasury Department’s Office of the Inspector General for Tax Administration. This can be done online via: Impersonating IRS Fraud Report page or call 800-366-4484.
For more information, see how Google can monitor potential phone scams in real time.
