{"id":2585244,"date":"2026-03-30T08:47:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/here-are-the-irs-scams-you-may-face-this-tax-season\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T08:52:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:52:04","slug":"here-are-the-irs-scams-you-may-face-this-tax-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/here-are-the-irs-scams-you-may-face-this-tax-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Here Are the IRS Scams You May Face This Tax Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhere-are-the-irs-scams-you-may-face-this-tax-season%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2585244&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The IRS has warned Americans about a range of tax scams ahead of the 2026 tax season, highlighting them in the annual Dirty Dozen list released on March 5 as part of the \u201cSlam the Scam Day\u201d campaign. The effort aims to alert taxpayers to evolving threats and scams designed to steal money or personal facts.<\/p>\n<p>Key points:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Impersonation and phishing: scammers use emails, texts, direct messages, and social media to pose as the IRS, often using alarming language and QR codes that lead to fake IRS websites. Taxpayers are urged not to click on unsolicited links or attachments.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; AI and call scams: There are increasing cases of voice impersonation using artificial intelligence, robocalls, and spoofed caller IDs. The IRS usually contacts taxpayers by mail and does not leave urgent or threatening messages by phone.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Abusive undistributed long-term capital gains claims: A new scam involves Form 2439 to claim refundable credits for taxes on undistributed capital gains, with fake or non-existent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-president-trump-gives-pardons-to-73-individuals-and-commutes-another-70-sentences-steve-bannon-is-included\/\" title=\"BREAKING: President Trump Gives Pardons to 73 Individuals and Commutes Another 70 Sentences \u2013 Steve Bannon Is Included\">investment funds<\/a> or real estate trusts. Improper claims can lead to refunds delays,audits,penalties,or enforcement actions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Other scams: Fake charities,misleading tax advice on social media,and spear-phishing <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >campaigns targeting tax professionals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; social media and impersonation: The IRS reported more than 600 impersonators on social platforms in fiscal year 2025.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Protection tips: Avoid unexpected links or attachments, hang up on suspicious calls, and report scams through the IRS help resources.<\/p>\n<p>the message is to stay vigilant, verify communications, and use official channels to handle any tax-related concerns.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The IRS warned Americans about a number of tax scams that may impact them this tax season if they are not careful.<\/p>\n<p>The so-called &ldquo;Dirty Dozen&rdquo; tax scams for 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/newsroom\/dirty-dozen-tax-scams-for-2026-irs-reminds-taxpayers-to-watch-out-for-dangerous-threats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced<\/a> on March 5 by the IRS, was put before American taxpayers through an initiative called &ldquo;Slam the Scam Day.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano said that the program &ldquo;provides a great opportunity to remind everyone to remain vigilant and watch out for scams because thieves continuously adjust the pitches they use to take advantage of honest taxpayers.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For more than two decades, the IRS has used the Dirty Dozen list to flag emerging scams that taxpayers should watch out for,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Among the scams listed by the IRS was impersonation by  and text.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Scammers send s, direct messages (DMs), and texts that appear to be from the IRS, often using alarming language and QR codes that direct taxpayers to fake IRS websites,&rdquo; the agency said.<\/p>\n<p>From there, taxpayers will be tempted to click links or open attachments.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As a reminder, never click any unsolicited communication claiming to be from the IRS, as it may install malware surreptitiously,&rdquo; the agency said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These links may install malicious software, including ransomware, on a taxpayer&rsquo;s personal device, potentially preventing access to their files or personal information.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>There were over 600 IRS impersonators on social media during fiscal year 2025 alone &mdash; and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-views-alyssa-farah-griffin-trump-trying-to-scare-north-carolina-voters-into-voting-for-him-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"The View\u2019s Alyssa Farah Griffin: Trump trying to \u2018scare\u2019 North Carolina voters into voting for him ... Washington Examiner\">agency doesn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t want anyone falling into their traps.<\/p>\n<p>Another scam is the use of artificial intelligence for voice impersonation.<\/p>\n<p>Whether by robocalls, voice mimicry, or spoofed caller ID, the scams &ldquo;continue to evolve, including calls that use computer-generated tactics and spoofed caller ID to appear legitimate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The IRS noted that it usually contacts taxpayers by mail first, and that it never leaves urgent or threatening messages.<\/p>\n<p>A new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schumer-pelosi-bash-republicans-for-saying-they-wont-vote-to-raise-debt-ceiling\/\" title=\"Schumer, Pelosi Bash Republicans For Saying They Won\u2019t Vote To Raise Debt Ceiling\">tax scam<\/a> for this year is &ldquo;abusive undistributed long-term capital gains claims.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The increased abuse of Form 2439 allows &ldquo;holders of certain investment funds or real estate trusts to claim a refundable credit for taxes paid on undistributed capital gains.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Identified schemes involve overstated or fabricated Form 2439 claims, including claims tied to organizations that are not legitimate investment funds or real estate trusts,&rdquo; the agency added.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The IRS has also seen fake claims falsely linked to real, well-known organizations. Improper claims may result in refund delays, audits, penalties, or enforcement action.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Other scams included <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/security-alert-how-to-recognize-scam-emails-claiming-to-raise-money-for-ukraine\/\" title=\"Security Alert: How to Recognize Scam Emails Claiming to Raise Money for Ukraine\">fake charities<\/a>, misleading tax advice on social media, and &ldquo;spear-phishing&rdquo; campaigns targeting tax professionals.<\/p>\n<p>Generally speaking, the IRS recommended that taxpayers protect themselves by avoiding unexpected links or attachments, as well as hanging up on suspicious calls.<\/p>\n<p>The IRS also offered guidance on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/help\/report-fraud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> scams.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a paraphrase of the main points:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The IRS warned Americans about many tax scams that could affect them this season. On March 5, the agency introduced its \u201cDirty Dozen\u201d scams for 2026 as part of a campaign called \u201cSlam the Scam Day.\u201d<br \/>\n&#8211; IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano urged people to stay vigilant because scammers keep changing their tactics to target taxpayers.<br \/>\n&#8211; For more than two decades, the Dirty Dozen list has highlighted emerging schemes taxpayers should watch for. One of the scams noted involves impersonation through messages and texts.<br \/>\n&#8211; The agency cautioned that scammers may send unsolicited messages that look like they\u2019re from the IRS, often with alarming language and QR codes steering people to fake IRS websites. Never click on unsolicited IRS-looking messages, as they can install malware or ransomware on devices.<br \/>\n&#8211; There were more than 600 IRS impersonators active on social media in fiscal year 2025, and scammers continue to evolve with methods like voice impersonation using artificial intelligence, robocalls, and spoofed caller IDs.<br \/>\n&#8211; The IRS typically contacts taxpayers by mail first and does not leave urgent or threatening messages.<br \/>\n&#8211; A new scam this year involves abusive undistributed long-term capital gains claims, using Form 2439 to wrongly claim refundable credits for taxes on undistributed capital gains. These schemes may involve overstated or fake Form 2439 claims and even fake links to legitimate-looking organizations, potentially causing refund delays, audits, penalties, or enforcement actions.<br \/>\n&#8211; Other scams include fake charities, misleading tax advice on social media, and spear-phishing campaigns targeting tax professionals.<br \/>\n&#8211; Practical advice from the IRS: avoid unexpected links or attachments, hang up on suspicious calls, and know how to report scams.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like, I can tailor this paraphrase to a shorter summary, a more formal version, or adapt it for a specific audience<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2585245,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Michael-Featured-Image-6.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[35667,76794,76796,47294,76795],"class_list":["post-2585244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-identity-theft","tag-irs-scams","tag-scam-awareness","tag-tax-fraud","tag-tax-season"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Michael-Featured-Image-6.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2585244"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585248,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585244\/revisions\/2585248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2585244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2585244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2585244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}