Tax Fraud and Identity Theft

The FTC and IRS are warning taxpayers that AI‑driven tax scams—using robocalls, voice mimicry and increasingly sophisticated phishing emails, fake texts and scam calls—are rising this season as criminals try to steal credentials and file returns using victims’ Social Security numbers. Rosario Mendez of the FTC says identity theft often shows up when someone else has already filed with a person’s SSN; experts including Identity Theft Resource Center CEO Eva Velasquez urge consumers to “Type, don’t tap” by manually entering official sites like IRS.gov, and AARP’s Kathy Stokes notes younger people report scams more often while older adults suffer larger financial losses.