IRS warning of refund scams with tax filing deadline approaching

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning people who have not filed their taxes yet to keep an eye out for scams.

>>RELATED: Here’s how to protect yourself from common scams this tax season

The IRS is warning taxpayers to watch out for fake letters asking recipients to provide personal information to receive an unclaimed refund.

The letters even have the IRS letterhead to make them look legitimate.

“When those bad actors borrow the name, the legitimacy of that government agency we tend to trust that and especially when you’re talking about the IRS,” said Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center.

She says that advancing technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are making it easier for fraudsters to target people.

“They’re getting much more sophisticated,” added Velasquez.

The Federal Trade Commission said the amount of money lost to scams increased by 14% last year. Nearly 3 million people reported getting scammed last year.

The IRS says they never contact taxpayers by email, text, or through social media for a bill or tax refund. If anyone gets a letter mail, double check the phone number and make sure it matches the number on the IRS website.

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