Tax Season Scams Against Seniors: IRS Impersonation and Refund Theft

Every year from January through April, scam calls to seniors spike. The reason is simple: people are thinking about taxes, refunds are arriving, and the IRS becomes a believable cover. This guide explains the most common tax-season scam scripts, how to spot them, and exactly what to do if you’ve already been targeted.

Reminder: The IRS will never call, email, or text you to demand immediate payment, threaten arrest, or ask for gift cards or Bitcoin. The IRS contacts taxpayers by physical mail (Notice CP-series) — not phone, email, or text.

The five tax-season scams most often run against seniors

1. IRS impersonation calls. A caller claims you owe back taxes and a warrant is active. Payment demanded in gift cards, wire transfer, or Bitcoin to avoid arrest. The IRS never calls like this.

2. Refund theft via filed-by-someone-else returns. A scammer files a return using your SSN before you do, captures your refund, and disappears. You find out when your real return is rejected.

3. Fake “IRS refund” emails or texts. A message with an official-looking IRS logo says you have a refund pending and a link to claim it. The link harvests your SSN, bank account, and login credentials.

4. Ghost tax preparers. A pop-up preparer takes your fee, prepares your return, but refuses to sign it (so they aren’t traceable) — and may misdirect your refund to their account.

5. SSA / Medicare impersonation that ties to taxes. A caller says your Social Security number was used in a tax-fraud scheme and must be “protected” via wire transfer or Bitcoin ATM. Never real.

How to protect yourself this tax season

  • Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN — free at irs.gov/ipin. The PIN prevents anyone else from filing in your name.
  • File as early in the season as possible — beats scammers to your refund.
  • Verify any preparer at irs.treasury.gov/rpo — the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers.
  • Never click an IRS-branded email link — go to irs.gov directly.
  • Use direct deposit to your bank account — not a tax-preparer-controlled account.

If you’ve already been scammed this tax season

Follow our First 24 Hours emergency guide. Then specifically for tax-related scams: file Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit), report to TIGTA for IRS impersonation, and freeze your credit with all three bureaus.