Tax scam calls claiming to be from IRS are getting "a lot more aggressive." Here's how to protect yourself.
Scammers are ramping up their efforts this tax season with a new wave of aggressive IRS‑themed robocalls that threaten arrest, lawsuits and liens to try to steal your information and money.
Nomorobo, a scam‑call blocking firm with a mobile app, says it has already intercepted a sharp spike in fraudulent calls impersonating the Internal Revenue Service — a 400% increase since January that specifically mentions "IRS," "Internal Revenue Service" or "taxes."
One intercepted robocall obtained by CBS News Philadelphia warned: "A criminal case has been registered against you for your tax evasion."
How the scam works
Nomorobo monitors hundreds of thousands of dormant phone lines, according to Nomorobo general manager Matt Mizenko. When a call comes from a number tied to one of those inactive lines, the company can flag it and block it before it ever rings a subscriber's phone.
"We're seeing a lot more aggressive tactics," Mizenko said.
In past years, he said scammers typically used softer pitches — such as promising tax help or a small IRS refund — but that has changed dramatically.
"They're not tap‑dancing around it anymore," Mizenko said. "They're coming straight for the throat ... trying to create as much fear as possible."
The calls, if you pick up, could also be an attempt at "phishing" for your personal information, like your credit card details.
Tax scams resulted in nearly $6 million in reported losses in 2025, according to a newly released study from The Kaplan Group.
What the real IRS will never do
Despite the threats in these calls, consumer experts stress that none of it is legitimate. The IRS does not:
- Threaten arrest or legal action over the phone
- Promise unexpected refunds
- Ask for credit card or bank information by phone, text or email
- Demand payment through text or email links
Scammers can also spoof caller ID, making it appear as if the call is coming from the IRS. The safest option is to hang up and manually call the IRS using the number listed on IRS.gov, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Only IRS websites and email addresses ending in .gov should be trusted.
A warning for taxpayers
Fake IRS websites and phishing emails are becoming harder to spot as scammers increasingly use artificial intelligence to mirror real government pages.
As tax season continues, officials urge anyone who receives a suspicious call to avoid engaging, hang up and independently verify information using official IRS channels.
