Phishing tops list of 'Dirty Dozen' tax scams 2025 filers warned to watch out for
NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- A new warning from the IRS as the agency released its dirty dozen tax scam for 2025. This year's top dirty dozen scams threaten your tax and financial information.
"Scammers are relentless, and they use the guise of tax season to try tricking taxpayers into falling into a variety of traps. These red flags can lead to everything from identity theft to being misled into claiming tax credits for which they're not entitled," said Terry Lemons, IRS communications senior adviser. "For more than two decades, the IRS has highlighted the Dirty Dozen through far-reaching communications and education campaigns as part of a wider effort by the agency to protect taxpayers from being scammed."
Topping the list are email phishing scams. That's when fraudsters pose as a legitimate tax or finance organization. These messages arrive in the form of unsolicited texts or emails to lure unsuspecting victims into providing valuable personal and financial information that can lead to identity theft.
Also, beware of unsolicited texts or emails sent to lure unsuspecting victims into handing out their personal or financial information.
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Another growing concern involves incorrect tax information on social media. The IRS warns that this can mislead people into bogus tax avoidance strategies and sometimes result in identity theft.
To see the other dirty dozen scams for 2025, click here.
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