Phone calls · Scam library
IRS impersonation scam: how to spot it and what to do
Arrives by: Phone call, Text message, Email, Social media
Is it a scam?
A call, text, email or social media message from the “IRS” that demands payment now, threatens you, or asks for personal or financial details is almost always a scam. The IRS normally contacts you first by mail through the U.S. Postal Service, and a social media direct message is never from the IRS. If you're unsure, don't respond, and contact the IRS yourself through irs.gov.
How the scam works.
You get an unexpected call, text, email or social media message from someone who says they're with the IRS.
They say you owe back taxes, or that there's a problem with your return or refund.
They rush you and threaten arrest, a lawsuit or other trouble if you don't pay now.
They ask you to pay, or to share personal and financial details, over the phone or through a link.
Red flags to look for.
Illustrative example · Text message
+1 (202) 555-0139
Written from the patterns official sources describe. Phone numbers and web addresses in it are fake.
It demands payment right now.
It asks for personal or financial information.
It rushes you or threatens you.
It's unexpected, especially a first contact by phone, text or email.
It arrives as a social media direct message. The IRS never contacts you that way.
It's a text or email you never signed up for. The IRS only emails or texts if you opted in.
The real thing vs. the scam.
What the real organization does
What the scammer does
Normally contacts you first by mail, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
First contact is a surprise call, text or email.
Emails or texts only if you opted in.
Sends unexpected texts with payment links.
Never contacts you by social media direct message.
Messages you on Facebook, Instagram or another app.
$413 million
Government impersonation scams cost people 60 and older $413 million in 2025, according to the FBI.
If you got this message.
- Don't click any link, reply, or call back a number from the message.
- If you're worried you really owe something, contact the IRS yourself through irs.gov.
- Forward IRS-themed scam emails to [email protected], then delete them.
- Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM), then delete them.
- Report IRS impersonation calls to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484 or tigta.gov, and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you already clicked, paid or shared information.
If you paid or moved money, call your bank or card company right away. Use the number on the back of your card or in the official app, not a number from the scammer.
If you paid with gift cards, call the company named on the card right away, tell them it was a scam, and ask for your money back. Keep the cards and receipts.
If you sent a wire, call the company and ask them to reverse it: Western Union 1-800-448-1492, MoneyGram 1-800-926-9400, Ria 1-877-443-1399.
If you shared your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan, and freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Freezing is free.
If you typed a password into a fake site, change it now, and change it anywhere else you used the same one.
Report it to tigta.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If money was lost online, also report it at ic3.gov.
Expect follow-up calls or messages offering to get your money back for a fee. Those are scams too. Real agencies never charge to help you get a refund.
Money already sent? Start with the free C.A.L.M. recovery wizard or get step-by-step help. And watch out for anyone who offers to get it back for a fee.
Not sure about a message?
Check it in a minute.
Answer a few yes-or-no questions and see how risky it looks.
Try the scam checker
How OwlGuardian helps
Make the next scam bounce off.
Fake IRS emails sent to Gmail are what OwlGuardian is built for: it quarantines suspicious email before you see it and alerts your Trusted Contact, who can release it or keep it out. OwlGuardian doesn't block calls or texts, so for those, say “Hey Siri, call my Owl” to screenshot the text or photograph a letter and get a verdict in about five seconds.
OwlGuardian quietly checks your parent's Gmail with AI, moves scam emails out of sight, and asks you before anything risky gets through. $4.99/month after a 30-day free trial.
Questions people ask.
Does the IRS ever text or email you?
Will the IRS call and threaten to arrest me?
Is a social media message from the IRS real?
How do I report an IRS scam?
Sources
- IRS, How to know it's really the IRS calling or knocking on your door
- FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report (PDF)
- FTC, Have you lost money to a scam? Watch for scammers who say they can help (Aug 3, 2026)
The example above is illustrative, written from the patterns official sources describe. Phone numbers and web addresses in it are fake.
Related scams.
Scam alert · Phone calls
Social Security impersonation scam
A call, text, letter or social media message saying your Social Security number will be suspended or your benefits will stop unless you pay or move money right away is a scam.
How to spot itScam alert · Phone calls
Jury duty and arrest warrant scam
A call, text or email saying you missed jury duty and will be arrested unless you pay a fine is a scam.
How to spot itScam alert · Phone calls
Gift card payment scam
If anyone tells you to pay them with a gift card, it's a scam.
How to spot itScam alert · Phone calls
Medicare scam
A call, text or email saying you need a new Medicare card, or asking for your Medicare, bank or card number, is a scam.
How to spot it
The Night Watch · weekly
One short email a week about the scams going around
What's hitting inboxes and phones right now, what it looks like, and the one thing to tell your parents. Written in plain English.