The Weekly Breach Breakdown Podcast: IRS or Imposter? - Who’s Really on the Line? - S7E9

Show Transcript

Welcome to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) Weekly Breach Breakdown for March 27, 2026. I am Tatiana Cuadras, Communications Assistant for the ITRC. Thanks to Sentilink for their support of the podcast and the ITRC. Each week, we look at the most recent events and trends related to data security and privacy, including IRS scams targeting taxpayers this tax season. This week, we will discuss how tax season creates new opportunities for identity criminals and what that means for protecting your identity and personal data. 

As tax season ramps up, so do opportunities for identity criminals. Apparently, filing your taxes isn’t stressful and time-consuming enough on its own, right? Each year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) releases what it calls the “Dirty Dozen,” which is a list of the most common tax scams targeting individuals. Not surprisingly, impersonation scams top the list. 

Impersonation scams can come through email, text messages, phone calls and social media. The IRS identified hundreds of impersonation accounts just last year. The goal behind these scams? Pretty simple. Identity criminals pretend to be someone else, in this case, the IRS, and want to get you to click, respond or share your personal information with them. 

What’s changed over the years is how convincing these scams have become. Messages are designed to create urgency – because there’s nothing more alarming than a message that looks like it came straight from the IRS. Some of these messages include links, QR codes or attachments that send you to fake websites or install harmful software. Identity criminals are using artificial intelligence (AI) to polish up their attempts of IRS scams by using impersonating tactics with robocalls, voice mimicry and spoofed caller IDs, which make the outreach look scarily real. 

Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, says the ITRC has noticed scams ramping up over the past few years, likely thanks to AI. “We’re seeing more phishing emails, fake texts and phone calls,” she told the Associated Press. “Scammers are trying to get you to engage in any manner—talk to them, click a link, share your personal data or give access to your devices or accounts.” 

With scams ramping up over the past few years, the usual warning signs aren’t always obvious. A message may look polished and real. A phone call may sound legit. A fake website may look almost identical to the official source. Here’s something to remember: the IRS isn’t going to contact you this way. They don’t send unexpected messages asking for personal information, calls to demand payment or threaten arrest. If that’s happening, you’re not dealing with the official IRS; you’re facing an identity criminal carrying out IRS scams 

Identity theft is a big concern during tax season. A common trick? Someone files a tax return using your Social Security number. Most people only find out when they try to file their own return and – surprise! They get hit with the message: “Your return has already been submitted.” It is extremely important to let the IRS know if this has happened to you. 

What can you do to protect yourself? The simplest approach is to always go straight to the source. Instead of clicking links or scanning codes, type the official website directly into your browser. If something feels urgent or unexpected, make sure to always take a moment to pause before responding or clicking anything.  

If you want to know more about IRS scams, how to protect your business or personal information, tax-related identity theft or think you have been the victim of an IRS scam, you can speak with an expert ITRC advisor on the phone, chat live on the web or exchange emails during our normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-5 p.m. PST). Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.  

Thanks again to Sentilink for their support of the ITRC and this podcast. We will return next week with another episode of the Weekly Breach Breakdown. I’m Tatiana Cuadras. Until then, thanks for listening.