IRS impersonation scams use fear: unpaid taxes, lawsuits, arrest warrants, or frozen refunds unless you act immediately. The real IRS process is slower and more formal, which gives you room to verify before paying or sharing information.
Does this affect you?
Use this for calls, texts, voicemails, or emails in the United States that claim to be from the IRS or another tax authority.
Know the signs it is a scam, not the real IRS
The real IRS does not operate like a panic call center.
- The IRS generally contacts taxpayers by mail first. A surprise call or text as the first contact about taxes is suspicious.
- The IRS does not demand immediate payment by phone or require gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, prepaid debit cards, or payment apps.
- The IRS does not threaten immediate arrest, deportation, license revocation, or a lawsuit during an unsolicited call.
- Caller ID can be spoofed to show IRS, Washington D.C., or a local-looking number. Caller ID is not proof.
- The IRS does not ask for your full Social Security number, bank card number, or password during an unsolicited call.
- Aggressive scripts, background call-center noise, and refusal to let you ask questions are common scam signs.
If the call includes any of these signs, hang up. Do not press a number to speak to a representative or be removed from a list, because that can confirm your number is active.
Verify and report it
Use official routes only, not links or phone numbers supplied by the caller.
- Go directly to irs.gov and sign in to Your Online Account to check balances, payments, and notices.
- If you want to call the IRS, use the official number 1-800-829-1040 or another number listed on irs.gov.
- Report IRS impersonation calls to TIGTA at tigta.gov or by calling TIGTA’s official reporting number.
- Forward phishing texts or emails to the IRS phishing reporting address listed on irs.gov.
- File a fraud report at reportfraud.ftc.gov so the scam pattern is tracked nationally.
More control
Refund scams use the same trick
Texts or emails may claim your refund is on hold or that you are owed money after verification. Treat those like phone scams: go to irs.gov directly and do not use the link.
Tax scams run all year
They spike near filing deadlines, but scammers also attach them to stimulus payments, unemployment benefits, and other government-program news.
If you already paid
Contact the payment provider immediately, then report to TIGTA and the FTC. If gift card codes were shared, contact the gift card company quickly, though recovery is not guaranteed.
Sources
- IRS – Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts (2025)
- FTC – IRS Imposter Scams (2025)
- Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration – Report Phone Scams (2025)