Tax season scams 2026: Fake IRS messages stealing identities

Tax season scams 2026: Fake IRS messages stealing identities

Tax season no longer begins in April. For scammers, it starts the moment the calendar flips to January. While you're waiting for your W-2 or 1099 to arrive, cybercriminals are already sending out waves of fake IRS messages, "refund problem" alerts and account verification scams. These messages feel alarmingly real, and that's not an accident.The truth is, today's tax scams don't rely on random guessing. They rely on your personal data, pulled fr…

AI Tax Scams Surge as IRS Goes Fully Digital in 2026

As the Internal Revenue Service moves to fully digital tax operations in 2026, cybersecurity experts warn that the modernization effort is colliding with a surge in AI-driven fraud. The result is a rapidly expanding attack surface for identity theft, refund fraud, and impersonation scams.In 2025, the IRS reported $10.59 billion in financial crime losses, with $4.5 billion tied directly to tax-related fraud. While the agency continues to strength…