Almost 1 in 4 Americans affected by tax scams as new rules, AI deepfakes confuse filers — here are 5 traps to watch for

<h1>Almost 1 in 4 Americans affected by tax scams as new rules, AI deepfakes confuse filers — here are 5 traps to watch for</h1>
<p>Fraudsters love tax season, and this year could be especially risky.</p>
<p>According to a recent McAfee survey, 23% of respondents revealed that they or someone they knew had lost money to a tax scam. That’s nearly 1 in 4 Americans (1).</p>
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<p>The problem is more widespread as fraudsters use sophisticated artificial intelligence tools to trick Americans into handing over their personal information or money.</p>
<p>But as the Wall Street Journal reports, this year, con artists are taking advantage of confusion around new tax rules under the Trump administration (2). WRAL News notes that fraudsters are extra motivated by larger refunds this year — with tax refunds up 14% according to the IRS (3).</p>
<p>“Fraudsters prey on people’s anxiety and confusion about filing their tax returns and what is legitimate,” said Jeremiah Barlow, chief solutions officer at Mercer Advisors, told the Wall Street Journal.</p>
<p>Here’s a list of the key tax scams to watch out for and how to protect yourself.</p>
<h2>Top 5 common tax scams</h2>
<p>According to McAfee, tax scams happen all year round even though they ramp up as tax season approaches. Here are five of the most common scams to watch for:</p>
<h3>1. IRS impersonation scams</h3>
<p>One of the most common scams involves fraudsters pretending to be the IRS or a tax agency.</p>
<p>The bad actors will attempt to reach out to potential victims through emails, texts or phone calls claiming you owe back taxes or that your refund needs verification. Some even use AI tools to create convincing voice calls or messages.</p>
<p>Conveying a sense of urgency, the scammers pressure victims to click on a link that will lead them to a fake website where they’re asked to enter sensitive information like their Social Security Number or banking details.</p>
<p>Once scammers have this personal information, they can file a fraudulent tax return and claim your refund.</p>
<h3>2. Social media schemes</h3>
<p>Scammers increasingly pose as tax experts on platforms like TikTok or Instagram, promising huge refunds or special tax credits that supposedly apply to everyone, getting people to claim credits they may not qualify for.</p>
<p>What’s in it for the fraudsters? They get a cut of the refund.</p>