From deepfake IRS calls to phishing emails, here’s how to stay one step ahead of AI-powered scammers.
Every year, tax season makes all of us prime targets for social engineering scams. And now, thanks to AI, it’s easy to build new scams designed to get you to hand over your financial data, or even your tax refund. Deepfakes that mimic a real person with alarming accuracy are on the rise. Phishing websites that look exactly like official tax prep services or even the IRS itself are easy to vibe code. Think you can’t be fooled? Most adults surveyed in a study from Variety and HarrisX were tricked by videos generated using OpenAI’s Sora. The IRS has tips to recognize scams, and we’re here to help with more.AI-Powered Tax Scams to Look Out For
To find out what we’re all up against, I spoke with Lisa Plaggemier, the executive director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance. She warned that scammers use generative AI to impersonate you, your tax preparer, or IRS agents to obtain your data, hard-earned money, or both.Impersonation
Plaggemier relayed an anecdote about a marketing VP who realized he’d been speaking to a scammer instead of his boss on a Zoom videoconference. She said the executive only figured out he was being duped when he texted his boss and received a reply—though the “boss” on the Zoom video did not pick up his phone to type.
AI tools are improving quickly, affecting our ability to recognize reality. Not long ago, “you would see an AI-generated image or a video, and the person would look a little empty behind the eyes”, Plaggemier noted. “That’s not the case anymore.”Spearphishing
Each year, the IRS updates its list of the most popular or devastating tax scams. Common tax scams include emails claiming to be from the IRS that contain spearphishing links or malware-laden attachments and phone calls or texts from fake IRS agents requesting personal information, tax ID numbers, or banking information.
