(LibertySociety.com) – It’s tax season, and you know what that means: scammers are busy. People have lost more than $79 million collectively to tax season scammers since 2013, according to special agent in charge Rodney Davis from the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Recently the IRS is warning of a new scheme targeting tax professionals.
On February 10, the IRS and its partners within the Security Summit issued a press release warning of scammers sending emails impersonating the agency to steal Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs). IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said, “Phishing scams are the most common tool” used by schemers to steal identities.
#IRS and Security Summit partners reminder #TaxPros that they’re prime targets for identity thieves. Beware of a new EFIN scam making the rounds. https://t.co/6utBSBbxon #TaxSecurity pic.twitter.com/n21649JDzs
— IRSnews (@IRSnews) February 20, 2021
Tax professionals and taxpayers alike should avoid clicking on emails, text messages, or giving information over the phone to people claiming to be from the IRS. The agency never initiates the first contact with anyone. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, report it to the Treasury Department and the IRS by emailing [email protected]
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