Eliana Willis

ZDNETIt’s tax season again. And that means it’s time not only to file your taxes, but also to watch out for scammers looking to con tax-paying citizens. In a new report out today, McAfee highlights the most popular tax-related scams and offers advice on how to protect yourself against them.Based on a new 2025 tax season survey conducted by McAfee, about 48% of people revealed that they, or someone they know, were contacted by a person claiming to be from the IRS or a state tax agency. The scammers used a variety of methods to target potential victims, including social media posts, emails, text messages, and phone calls. Also: What is vishing? Voice phishing is surging – expert tips on how to spot it and stop itPeople ages 18 to 24 reported the highest number of successful scams, with 40% of them saying that they, or someone they know, had been scammed. But older adults ages 65 to 74 suffered the greatest financial losses. Among the people in that group who lost money in a tax-related scam, 40% said they were out between $751 and $1,000. The highest losses were found among those in the 45 to 54 age range, with 10% reporting that they had lost more than $10,000. Today’s cybercriminals also know how to use the latest sophisticated techniques. With deepfake audios, scammers can sound like actual IRS agents. And with AI-generated phishing emails, they can duplicate actual messages from legitimate tax preparation services. More than half of the people surveyed said they think that tax-related scam attempts have become more realistic, with most of them worried that AI is making the scams more difficult to detect. How tax scams workIn its report, McAfee illustrated how one type of tax scam might work. You receive an urgent text or email claiming that your refund was rejected or that you owe back taxes. Looking like a real notice you might get from the IRS, the message typically includes a link for you to click or a phone number for you to call. If you take the bait, the scammer will often tell you that they need your Social Security number, bank account details, or credit card information to help you. Give them what they want, and now the criminals have easy access to your money or your identity. Also: Did you get an E-ZPass text demanding payment? Don’t click – it’s a scamBased on the survey results, scammers like to try different variations on a familiar theme: Fake IRS messages – Almost half of those polled by McAfee have received messages from someone posing as an IRS official.Impersonating tax services – One-third of the respondents said that they, or someone they know, was targeted by scammers pretending to be from TurboTax, H&R Block, or another tax provider.Baiting victims with fake refunds – More than a third of those surveyed said they’ve gotten suspicious messages that promised tax refunds and included malicious links.Cryptocurrency scams – Based on the survey, men are three times more likely than women to be hit by phony cryptocurrency tax payment schemes. More

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