The IRS and the Security Summit have issued a warning to tax professionals about new and evolving scams looking to steal business and taxpayer information. These schemes involve identity thieves posing as new clients, sending phishing emails, and using phone calls and text messages to extract sensitive information. Tax professionals need to be vigilant to protect both their clients and their businesses from these attacks.
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel highlighted that as defenses against identity theft have improved, scammers have shifted their focus to targeting tax professionals to obtain information necessary for filing fake tax returns. “Tax professionals need to watch out for deviously clever scams that can masquerade as new clients as well as communications from the IRS or others in the tax community. We continue to see tax professionals bombarded by these scams, and people shouldn’t let their defenses down,” Werfel said.
This warning is part of an annual education effort by the Security Summit, a coalition of tax professionals, industry partners, state tax groups, and the IRS. Formed in 2015, this public-private partnership works to protect the tax system from identity theft and fraud.
The announcement kicks off the Security Summit’s summer news release series, “Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself,” aimed at raising awareness among tax professionals about identity theft and security threats. The series coincides with the Nationwide Tax Forum, a seminar starting today in Chicago and continuing with sessions in Orlando, Baltimore, Dallas, and San Diego. The IRS reminds tax professionals that registration deadlines for several forums are approaching, and Chicago and Orlando are already sold out.
The IRS forums will include sessions on security-related topics, featuring experts from the IRS, the tax professional community, and Salve Regina University’s Pell Center. The news release series will also be available in Spanish.
The IRS and Security Summit partners are warning about recent scams, including the “new client” scheme. In this scam, fraudsters pose as taxpayers seeking help and use emails to obtain sensitive information or gain access to client data. This remains a threat year-round despite peaking around tax season.
Another scam involves phishing attempts to obtain tax professionals’ identification numbers, such as EFINs, PTINs, and CAF numbers. Scammers send emails or texts appearing to be from the IRS, asking tax pros to confirm their information on a fake website. With a compromised CAF number, fraudsters can access tax transcripts and other personal information to commit identity theft.
Tax professionals should also be aware of scams using phone calls and text messages to steal Social Security numbers, birth dates, and banking information. These include:
AI-generated fake IRS letters sent by mail.
The “Zero Tax” program, promising to eliminate tax debt in exchange for Social Security numbers.
Social media scams spreading inaccurate tax information and false tax documents like a Form W-2 or unauthorized credits.
Scammers contacting victims by phone or text to obtain financial information in exchange for fake promises of IRS money.
To avoid and report scams, individuals should forward scam emails to phishing@irs.gov, including the full email header. Tax professionals who experience a security breach should contact their IRS Stakeholder Liaison to report the incident. Quick reporting allows the IRS to block fraudulent returns and assist tax pros.
Tax professionals should also report data breaches to the appropriate state tax agency via the Federation of Tax Administrators’ special Report a Data Breach page. They should be familiar with Federal Trade Commission data breach response requirements and the new Written Information Security Plan (WISP), which mandates reporting incidents affecting 500 or more people within 30 days to the FTC.
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