IRS warns phishing attacks are among "dirty dozen" tax scams

IRS warns phishing attacks are among "dirty dozen" tax scams

With the deadline for filing taxes approaching, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued its annual list of top 12 tax scams, and phishing attacks were among the “dirty dozen.”

On Tuesday, the IRS released the list, which included identity theft, return preparer fraud, impersonation of charitable organizations, and false income and expense reporting, among other commonly executed schemes.

Phishing emails often include links that lead users to bogus websites set up by scammers, where victims are prompted to enter their personal or financial information.

“It is important to keep in mind the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information,” the agency warned. 

Suspicious emails purported to be from the IRS can be reported to phishing@irs.gov.