Humans are very creative and very lasting.
Take thieves, scams, scammers. As long as someone has dollars in their bank account, there are others who devise ways to suck up those dollars and claim them as their own.
The Internal Revenue Service is with them. On the list of “Dirty Dorses” In the 2025 tax fraud, agents tell taxpayers how to protect themselves from fraud. It also warns people about how some taxpayers try to trick the IRS.
The agency began publishing the Dirty Darth List in 2002 to notify and protect tax paying workers.
Below are some schemes and scams to watch out for this year, as well as mistakes and tricks to avoid as a taxpayer.
Fake charities. The good-looking people are asking for donations to help victims of natural disasters. I’m happy to open my pocket book. But how do you know that it’s legal?
“Taxpayers who give money or goods to a charity may be able to request a federal tax return deduction if they itemize the deduction, but charitable contributions only count when they go to a qualified tax-exempt organization recognized by the IRS,” the IRS writes.
One way to check is to be IRS.GOV/CHARITIES-NON-PROFITS/SEACH-FOR-TAX-EXEMPT-ORGANIZATIONS, the IRS’ tax-free organization search tool.
Also, charities will not ask for your Social Security number.
Social media influencer. If you spend your time on Instagram or Tiktok during tax season, you may be following or appearing on the reels of people who are excited to share a bunch of tax refunds and share a little-known, secret way of thinking. To untrained ears, they may sound great. Assert this and deduct it. Congratulations, you are a billionaire now!
In reality, these people are giving bad advice. And if you follow it, you’re on the hook, not the Charratan on social media.
“Social media platforms routinely distribute inaccurate or misleading tax information, including Tiktok, where people share highly inaccurate tax advice. Some people may involve urging people to misuse common tax documents, such as Form W-2,” the agency wrote.
This is one sleazy move that is being promoted online.
“This scheme, circulating on social media, encourages people to use tax software to manually fill out Form W-2, wages, tax statements and include false income information. In this W-2 scheme, scammers propose employers that make up large income and withholding numbers and it comes with them. The scammers then instruct people to file fake tax returns electronically, in the hopes that they will get a large amount of refunds (sometimes as many as five numbers) for large amounts of withholding,” the agency writes.
Email phishing and smissing. These are classics.
Key Points: If you get a blue email or a text message about taxes, delete it.
“Don’t click on unsolicited communications claiming it’s from the IRS as it could secretly load malware. This is also a way for malicious hackers to load ransomware, preventing legitimate users from accessing the system or files,” the agency wrote. These messages can also “stimulate unsuspecting victims to provide valuable personal information that could lead to identity theft.”
The thief sends messages that try to create a sense of urgency and a healthy formality. Phrases such as “account pending” and “unusual activity reports” using fake links are all red flags.
“The promise of unexpected tax refunds is another potential tactic used by scammers,” the agency adds.
Sketchy credits. In 2020 and 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic, the IRS had specialized illness and family leave credits for certain self-employed workers. These are no longer available, so please do not charge this year’s taxes. The form in question is 7202.
The related errors are related to the so-called self-employment tax credit. This states that the IRS does not exist.
“There is inaccurate information circulating that suggests that many people are eligible for tax credits and payments of up to $32,000 if many people are not,” the agency wrote. This mistake may be inspired by the above-mentioned sick leave and family leave credits, even though many people don’t even qualify for them. “The IRS is closely considering any claims coming under this provision, so taxpayer claims do so at their own risk.”
Another error is the fuel tax credit. It has a narrow target: off-highway business and farms. But the new trend is to lead people to falsely assert this credit.
“The creators and promoters of uncruel, discreet tax returns, including people on social media, continue to tempt taxpayers to inflate their refunds by accidentally charging credits,” the agency says.
Fake employee. How to get caught up in trouble with the IRS: invent fake nannies and butlers. Next, submit Schedule H (Form 1040) and household employment tax. This way you can request a refund for illnesses you have not paid before or for family medical leave. He is then caught by the IRS.
“People who try this fraud face a wide range of penalties, including a frivolous return penalty of $5,000. They also risk criminal prosecution by filing false tax returns,” the agency says.
Courtesy announcement: Improper household employment tax is on the IRS radar.
Fake clients. This is aimed at tax experts.
“Cybercriminals are responding to emails by impersonating new potential clients and tricking tax professionals and other companies,” the agency wrote. “When a tax professional responds, the fraudster will compromise the creator’s computer system and send you a malicious attachment or URL that will allow the attacker to access sensitive client information.”
These attacks can steal client data and business owner identities. The agency then said thieves can use the stolen information to file fraudulent returns.
For a complete list of 12 scams to watch out for the 2025 tax season and a dozen items from bakeries, visit the IRS website.
Original release: March 6, 2025, 3:15pm EST
