Tax scams ramp up ahead of April 15 deadline, wildfire charity scams a new twist
Mar 19, 2025
Kimberley Washington, CPA and former IRS criminal investigator, warns that tax scammers are increasing their efforts as the April 15 filing deadline draws near.Scammers are using robocalls to impersonate the Internal Revenue Ser
vice (IRS) and may threaten individuals, urging them to provide funds or gift cards immediately to avoid arrest for unpaid taxes. "This is, of course, a scam," said Washington. Washington also notes that fraudsters are exploiting the public's goodwill toward charity, especially the misfortune of those who recently lost everything in Oklahoma's wildfires, claiming to offer significant tax breaks in return for donations."Someone may appear that they're coming from like or representing a real charity organization and saying, hey, this natural disaster just occurred. You can get a tax deduction by donating to this organization, but if you click on the link, of course, it can bring you to another website and steal your information," Washington said, "So you really want to be careful because these tax scams are at a high." "Remember, you can visit IRS.gov to verify if a charity is tax-exempt," she advises.To protect yourself from tax-related scams, Washington recommends that people hang up if they receive calls from individuals claiming to be with the IRS requesting personal information. "When the IRS wants to reach out to you, chances are they're not gonna do it by phone at first. They're gonna send you a letter, some type of correspondence where you can know that it's coming from the IRS. So if you're getting a quick call and saying, hey, do this, do that. That's not the IRS." Washington said. "They're not gonna threaten you on the spot. They're not gonna say we're gonna come and arrest you for tax payments." Also, the IRS will not call, threaten, and demand immediate payment using gift cards or links to access your bank account.For an accurate understanding of your tax situation, Washington suggests setting up an account at IRS.gov to monitor your account status.If something appears amiss with your account, you can reach out to the IRS to alert it to potential trouble and work with it to fix any mistakes you find.Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere -- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram SUBSCRIBE on YouTube ...read more read less