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AARP Virginia Scam Alert: Tax Season Is Prime Time for IRS Impostor Scams
Learn how to protect yourself
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Tax season is stressful enough, and scammers take full advantage of that with IRS impostor schemes.
They reach out, claiming you owe back taxes and threaten legal action if you don’t pay immediately. These messages are designed to create panic and push you to act fast, often demanding payment by wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency — all guaranteed signs of a scam.
Unless you’re already working with the IRS on a tax issue, the agency will generally not contact you, and if they do, it’s typically by mail first.
When in doubt, disengage and verify by contacting the IRS directly using a trusted number from an official letter or IRS.gov — never one provided in a suspicious message.
For more resources see IRS: Beware of These Top Tax Season Scams.
Learn how to spot and avoid scams with AARP Fraud Watch Network™. Suspect a scam? Call our free helpline at 877-908-3360 and talk to one of our fraud specialists about what to do next.
With about 1 million members in Virginia, AARP is the largest organization working on behalf of people age 50-plus and their families in the Commonwealth. To learn more about how AARP Virginia is working in your community, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aarpvirginia and follow @AARPVa on X at www.X.com/aarpva.
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.
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