It’s time for the Dirty Dozen. No, not the movie; rather, the IRS’ annual listing of the worst tax scams.
On top of the IRS’ list is identity theft. It is a major problem, and the IRS is trying to stop it. The IRS does have a special unit dealing with identity theft.
Anyone who believes his or her personal information has been stolen and used for tax purposes should immediately contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit. For more information, visit the special identity theft page at www.IRS.gov/identitytheft.
Second on the IRS list is phishing. The IRS never sends unsolicited emails to taxpayers. As the IRS notes,
If you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.
You can find the rest of the list here. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.