Robocalls, texts, and phishing emails from scammers have increased this tax season, with artificial intelligence likely to blame for the increase, according to The Independent. The IRS releases an annual 'Dirty Dozen' list of tax scams, with impersonation of the agency by email, text, and phone at the top. This trend is reflected in the IRS reporting over 600 social media impersonators during fiscal year 2025, as noted by The Independent. AI-enabled IRS impersonation by phone, including robocalls, voice mimicry, and spoofed caller ID, is also increasing, according to the same source.
Scammers use alarming language and QR codes to send people to fake websites where they ask for personal information, The Independent reports. Links in scam messages may install malware or ransomware, according to the outlet. According to Dagens Nyheter, Björn Appelgren described that scam emails about tax refunds have been circulating since December, and some scam emails urge recipients to scan a QR code that leads to a fake website resembling the Swedish Tax Agency's site.
It is a copy of the Swedish Tax Agency's site, but on a different domain.
Identity theft is one of the most common forms of fraud around tax season, according to Rosario Mendez, an FTC attorney. The Identity Theft Resource Center has tracked an increase in scams and identity theft attempts over the past several years, likely aided by AI-generated messages, according to its CEO Eva Velasquez.
People who answer a seemingly innocent phone call could see their bank accounts drained as part of a scam, according to Which? experts. Scammers use information from survey calls to create an AI-generated clone of the victim's voice, a Which? spokesperson said. Scammers use the voice clone to bypass bank security systems and set up direct debits to siphon off cash, according to Which? spokesperson.
Your tax refund is approved. To complete the process and receive your tax refund, you need to verify your bank details and confirm your identity via our secure system.
Answering unsolicited spam calls signals to cold callers that you are an active phone number, marking you as a target for more scams, according to Which?. There is a copy of the Swedish Tax Agency's website on a different domain used in scams, according to Björn Appelgren of Internetstiftelsen.
In phone scams, fraudsters try to get victims to use their Bank-ID incorrectly to empty their accounts, according to Björn Appelgren of Internetstiftelsen. Scammers sometimes try to install a virus program via email attachments labeled as tax-related documents, according to Björn Appelgren.
It has featured such scam emails about refunds since December.
The exact number of victims affected by these tax season scams and the total financial losses incurred this tax season remain unknown. It is also unclear whether law enforcement has made any arrests related to these specific scam campaigns or how many different scam variants are currently active using AI technology.
It is a slightly newer variant that often leads to a site that looks exactly like the Swedish Tax Agency's. On the site, there is a form where you are to fill in your payment card details, and with those details, the fraudsters can hijack your card and use it.
In telephone fraud, it is common that they try to get you to use your Bank-ID in an incorrect way so that they can empty your accounts.
Then you infect your computer with some form of spyware that can lie in the background and steal valuable information from us.
The Swedish Tax Agency will never contact you via email or SMS in matters where you need to share your payment card details. The declaration and communication about it are sent via your digital mailbox or as physical post.