It’s tax season – and fraudsters are working overtime to scare and confuse taxpayers out of their hard-earned dollars before the file deadline.  

Protect your bank account and your identity by watching out for these common tax scam tactics:

• Aggressive calls from people posing as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents, demanding you pay them immediately through wire transfer or gift card.  
  
  
• Fake emails, supposedly from the IRS, that mention a bill or refund that you didn’t expect – and ask you to send them information like your Social Security number.
  
  
• Tax-related emails or text messages that require you to verify your personal information by clicking on a suspicious link.
  
  
• Imposters posing as tax preparers, who charge large fees for their “services” while directing your refund into their accounts.
  

If you receive any calls, texts, or emails from someone claiming to be the IRS, do not give them any of your personal information. The IRS will never email you out of the blue, threaten to arrest you, or ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. Typically, they will mail you a bill first if you owe any taxes.

If you decide to hire a tax preparer to help you with your filing, ask for references before hiring them – or try using someone recommended to you by a person you trust. Find a verified tax preparer near you by using the Federal Tax Return Preparers directory on irs.treasury.gov.

Above all, stay calm in the face of any tax-related threats you may receive. They are not real. Report scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by calling 1-800-366-4484 or visiting www.tigta.gov.