Hit The Delete Button!
Various e-mail and phone scams were circulating this past year that appeared to be from the IRS. The e-mails claim you may owe additional tax or have a refund waiting for you, and all you need to do is provide some information, such as your name, address, Social Security number and filing status. Some of the e-mails even went so far as to ask for your bank account information so they could deposit your refund.
With AI’s growth, you must be even more vigilant, and spotting scams will be even harder. A group of U.S. senators is pushing the IRS to use everything at its disposal to protect taxpayers from scams using artificial intelligence (AI). Recent breakthroughs in AI, like chatbots and deep fakes, will make it much more difficult for taxpayers to detect tax scams. That’s because next-generation AI can generate official-sounding letters, emails and texts targeted to specific taxpayers. In addition, AI isn’t prone to making grammatical errors and misspellings, which has made it easier for individuals to spot tax scams in the past.
The IRS never initiates correspondence via e-mail, nor does it ask for your bank account information. The scam is a ruse to collect personal information and steal identity. Delete the e-mail and keep your personal data safe.
If someone claiming to be from the IRS calls you, hang up. If the IRS needs your attention, they will send you a letter.