Spotting Tax-Season Scams: A Guide to Share With Your Neighbors

Every year, as people gather their tax forms and start thinking about refunds, scammers get busy. Fake calls claiming to be from the IRS, texts promising quick refunds, and emails asking you to “verify your account” all spike between January and April. Anyone can be targeted, but older adults, new immigrants, and people filing for the first time are often hit hardest.

The good news is that most tax scams follow the same patterns. Once you know the warning signs, they become much easier to spot. This guide is written to be shared at a building meeting, a senior lunch, a library table, or simply with the neighbor next door.

How Real Tax Agencies Usually Contact You

Understanding how legitimate agencies operate is the best defense. In general, the IRS and state tax departments:

• Typically make first contact by mail, not by an unexpected phone call, text, or social media message
• Do not demand immediate payment over the phone
• Do not ask for payment with gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
• Do not threaten to send police or immigration officers to arrest you for not paying
• Do not ask for passwords, PINs, or full bank login details by email or text

If a message breaks any of these patterns, treat it as suspicious.

Common Tax Scams to Watch For

Scammers change their scripts often, but these themes come up again and again:

• The threatening call: A caller says you owe back taxes and will be arrested, deported, or lose your license unless you pay right now.
• The refund text: A message says you have a refund waiting and asks you to click a link and enter personal information.
• The fake email: A message that looks official asks you to download a form or “update” your information.
• The ghost preparer: Someone offers to file your return for a fee based on the size of your refund, then refuses to sign the return as the preparer.
• The identity theft return: A criminal uses stolen information to file a return in your name before you do, so your real return gets rejected.

Red Flags at a Glance

Share this short list widely:

1. Pressure to act immediately
2. Threats of arrest or legal action
3. Requests for unusual payment methods like gift cards
4. Links in unexpected texts or emails
5. Callers who already know part of your Social Security number and ask you to “confirm” the rest
6. Spelling mistakes, odd email addresses, or generic greetings like “Dear Taxpayer”
7. Promises of an unusually large refund

What to Do If You Get a Suspicious Contact

The most important rule is simple: stop, do not engage, and verify on your own.

• Hang up on threatening callers. You do not need to be polite.
• Do not click links or open attachments in unexpected messages.
• Do not reply to scam texts, even to say “stop.”
• Look up the official contact yourself, using a letter you received in the mail or the agency’s official website typed directly into your browser.
• Talk to someone you trust before sending any money or information.

A useful script to practice:

“I don’t handle tax matters over the phone. I’ll contact the agency directly using the official number.” Then hang up.

Choosing a Trustworthy Tax Preparer

Many people rely on help to file, and that is a smart choice when you choose carefully. Look for:

• A preparer who signs your return and includes their preparer identification number
• Clear fees agreed in advance, not based on a percentage of your refund
• Someone who asks for your documents and explains your return before you sign
• Free help through IRS-sponsored volunteer programs, often hosted at libraries, community centers, and senior centers during tax season

Be wary of anyone who asks you to sign a blank return, wants your refund deposited into their account, or pressures you to claim credits you do not qualify for.

How to Help Older Neighbors

Older adults are frequent targets, partly because scammers assume they will be more trusting or more fearful of authority. You can help without being patronizing:

• Share this guide during a casual visit rather than as a lecture.
• Offer to be a “call first” person: “If anyone ever calls about taxes or money, call me before you do anything.”
• Post a simple reminder near the phone: “The IRS does not call to demand gift cards.”
• Help them sign up for paperless notices only if they are comfortable, or keep a folder for official mail.
• Listen without judgment if they think they may have been scammed. Embarrassment keeps many people silent.

If Someone Has Already Been Scammed

Act quickly and calmly. Steps that commonly help include:

1. Contact the bank or card company right away to report the transaction.
2. If gift cards were used, contact the card company listed on the back as soon as possible.
3. Change passwords on any accounts that may be affected.
4. Report the scam to the appropriate federal agencies through their official websites.
5. Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit reporting bureaus.

Local police departments and the state attorney general’s office also take scam reports, and Mass 211 can help connect people with resources if they are unsure where to turn.

Make Scam Awareness a Neighborhood Habit

Scams thrive on isolation and silence. When neighbors talk openly about the calls and texts they receive, everyone gets better at spotting them. Consider adding a quick “scam of the month” mention to your block group or building newsletter. A few sentences can save someone a lot of money and heartache.