“Scammers are relentless, and they use the guise of tax season to try tricking taxpayers into falling into a variety of traps,” warns Terry Lemons, IRS communications senior adviser. Perhaps most concerning is the rise in tax-related identity theft, where criminals use stolen Social Security Numbers to file fraudulent tax returns and claim refunds. Security experts warn that this time-sensitive period creates an ideal environment for scammers to target both money and personal data from unsuspecting individuals. Security researchers at F-Secure note that today’s phishing attempts are increasingly sophisticated, with AI-generated messages that can include the potential victim’s real name and address to enhance credibility. With less than a month until the federal income tax return deadline on April 15, cybercriminals are intensifying their efforts to exploit taxpayers rushing to file their returns. The IRS urges taxpayers who suspect they’ve encountered a scam to report it to [email protected] and, if money was lost, to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has recently unveiled its 2025 “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams, highlighting an alarming increase in sophisticated phishing attempts. Victims typically discover the fraud only when they attempt to file their legitimate returns, finding someone has already filed using their information. These schemes predominantly arrive via email or text message, appearing to be legitimate communications from the IRS, tax software companies, or financial institutions. Gurubaran is a co-founder of Cyber Security News and GBHackers On Security. Beyond traditional phishing, cybercriminals have advanced to using deepfake technology to impersonate IRS officials and other authority figures over the phone. He has 10+ years of experience as a Security Consultant, Editor, and Analyst in cybersecurity, technology, and communications. These communications typically create a false sense of urgency, threatening legal consequences to manipulate recipients into revealing sensitive information. In one documented case, fraudsters used voice-generating AI software to mimic a company executive’s voice, successfully conning $243,000 from a UK-based energy company. It’s really important to try to limit your biometrics that are out there,” cautions security experts. The IRS emphasizes it will never initiate contact with taxpayers through email or text messages about tax issues. This artificial intelligence-based voice manipulation allows scammers to sound convincingly like someone the victim might trust. Check if your personal data has been compromised using identity theft monitoring tools.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:55:04 +0000