Scams are surging this summer according to the IRS - July 28, 2023

The Journal of Accountancy has reported the IRS is asking for taxpayers to be wary of offers promising tax refunds or to “fix” tax problems. Many of these offers center on promises of a third round of economic impact payments. The IRS said it was receiving hundreds of complaints daily — and thousands since the July 4 holiday — at its phishing@irs.gov email account.

The economic impact payment scam includes an embedded URL that takes people to a phishing website to steal their personal information, the IRS said, adding that the third round of payments occurred over two years ago.

The scam, which has been around since 2021, has changed over time to trick people, the IRS said. The IRS never initiates contact with taxpayers by email, text, or social media regarding a bill or tax refund.