Tax Season Scams

Tax-related scams have become increasingly common, and they happen year-round. Fraudsters will contact you pretending to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a tax accounting service, a tax software company, or another tax-related organization. You could receive fake emails, text messages, phone calls, letters, or other communications. Falling for one of these scams can give attackers direct access to an individual’s or an organization's money and information. Tax-related scams affect both business and personal accounts, so it’s important to stay vigilant. 

Be on high alert for phishing emails which attempt to steal your information such as tax IDs, account information, passwords, and other valuable data. Be immediately suspicious of any unsolicited communication that asks for your Social Security Number, login credentials, or other personal information.

If you receive an email or text message that appears to be tax-related:

• Don’t immediately interact with the sender
• Take your time to evaluate the message
• Confirm requests for your copies of your W-2 or personal data

FAQs

• Are there any trusted resources I can use to identify email scams or websites claiming to be the IRS?
  • The IRS website highlights examples of scams and fake websites. Find this information online at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scamsconsumer-alerts.
    
• If I receive a suspicious tax-related email sent to my TWU account, should I notify IT Solutions (ITS)?
  • Yes! Report the message to the TWU Technology Service Desk immediately.
• What do I do if I receive an unsolicited phone call or letter claiming to be from the IRS that I suspect may not be legitimate?
  • Contact the IRS to confirm any requests made via phone, letter, email, text message or other form of communication particularly those that are threatening or demand immediate payment.

Contact the IRS to confirm any requests made via phone, letter, email, text message or other form of communication particularly those that are threatening or demand immediate payment. 

Fraudulent communications can be tricky. If you think you’ve interacted with a malicious message, contact the TWU Technology Service Desk right away. ITS staff is here to help.

Page last updated 8:39 AM, January 30, 2024