In short
Most common fake: Unsolicited texts or emails about a tax refund or credit with a link to claim it.
Safest check: Sign in to your IRS online account at irs.gov to see any balance or notices.
Where to report it: Email phishing@irs.gov (for texts use the subject Text and include the sender number, message, date and time), or forward the text to 7726 (SPAM).
What IRS says
The IRS says it normally makes first contact by mail, only emails or texts people who have opted in, and never sends direct messages on social media. It does not make threatening, rushed demands or ask for payment by gift card or wire transfer. Source: Internal Revenue Service
Common fake IRS messages
These are the 5 shapes a fake IRS message usually takes. They are listed in the order we see them most often, and none of them is something IRS itself does.
- Unsolicited texts or emails about a tax refund or credit with a link to claim it
- Calls threatening arrest or deportation unless you pay immediately
- Demands for payment by gift card or wire transfer
- Social media messages or posts promoting fake credits or refunds
- Requests for personal or financial information to verify your identity
IRS's real web addresses
Genuine IRS links and emails use these domains. Look at the part just before the first single slash: irs.gov is real, but irs-support-center.com or irs.gov.account-check.top are not.
- irs.gov
Scammers can also hide a fake link behind real-looking text. Learn how to read a web address.
How to check a IRS message safely
- Sign in to your IRS online account at irs.gov to see any balance or notices
- Look up any letter or notice using the IRS search for notices and letters
- Remember first contact is normally by mail, and a social media direct message is never from the IRS
How to report a fake IRS message
- Email phishing@irs.gov (for texts use the subject Text and include the sender number, message, date and time), or forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). Official details on irs.gov
- Report IRS impersonation to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at tigta.gov. Official details on irs.gov
Also report it to the official fraud service in your country. See the worldwide list.
If you clicked, paid or shared details
Act quickly. It makes a difference.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card, and ask them to block the card.
- If you entered a password, change it at irs.gov, typed into your browser yourself, and turn on two-step verification. Do not use any link from the message.
- Expect follow-up calls or messages pretending to help, sometimes claiming to be from IRS security. Never share one-time codes and never move money to a "safe account".
- Email phishing@irs.gov (for texts use the subject Text and include the sender number, message, date and time), or forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then delete the message.
More help: Fake tax refunds, government payments and fines and what to do after a scam.
How to protect yourself next time
Watch for anyone using your identity
If you shared ID documents, card details or a Social Security number, monitoring can alert you when someone opens credit or accounts in your name.
Free: In the US, a credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is free and blocks most new-credit fraud. Elsewhere, ask your bank and your credit reference agency about fraud alerts.
- Aura Partner link US identity theft protection with credit monitoring and fraud insurance.
Take your details off data broker sites
Scammers buy phone numbers, home addresses and family details from people-search and data broker sites. The less of that is public, the fewer and less convincing the scam messages you get.
Free: You can ask each site to delete your details yourself. In the EU and the UK, data protection law gives you that right.
- Incogni Partner link Sends removal requests to data brokers for you, and keeps sending them.
Compare the tools that help, and what each costs
Links marked Partner link may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes our advice, and the free option always comes first. Affiliate disclosure.
Questions people ask
Does IRS send messages asking for payment or personal details?
The IRS says it normally makes first contact by mail, only emails or texts people who have opted in, and never sends direct messages on social media. It does not make threatening, rushed demands or ask for payment by gift card or wire transfer.
How can I check if a IRS message is real?
Sign in to your IRS online account at irs.gov to see any balance or notices. Look up any letter or notice using the IRS search for notices and letters. Remember first contact is normally by mail, and a social media direct message is never from the IRS.
How do I report a fake IRS message?
Email phishing@irs.gov (for texts use the subject Text and include the sender number, message, date and time), or forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). Report IRS impersonation to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at tigta.gov.
I clicked a link in a fake IRS message but did not enter anything. Am I at risk?
Opening a link is far less serious than filling one in. Close it, and if you need your account, reach it by typing irs.gov yourself. Clicking does tell the sender your number is live, so expect more messages for a while: email phishing@irs.gov (for texts use the subject text and include the sender number, message, date and time), or forward the text to 7726 (spam).
Have you had this one?
Tell other people what the message said and how it reached you. It helps someone recognise it before they tap.
No stories yet. Yours could be the one that warns someone.
Official sources and further reading
We check our pages against official advice from the organisations themselves and from government agencies.
- Report fake IRS, Treasury or tax-related emails and messages (Internal Revenue Service)
- How to know it's the IRS (Internal Revenue Service)
- Recognize tax scams and fraud (Internal Revenue Service)