48% of Americans have received a fraudulent tax-related message

Wesley Tingey via Unsplash

Unfortunately, tax season also comes with a rise in scams. Recent research from McAfee reveals that AI-powered phishing emails, deepfake phone calls, and fake tax prep websites are making tax scams more convincing — and costly — than ever.

More than half of Americans say fraud is more sophisticated than last year. Cybercriminals are even impersonating trusted tax services to steal personal and financial information, adding another layer of deception. In fact, 33% of people say they or someone they know has received a fraudulent email or text claiming to be from a tax preparation service like TurboTax or H&R Block, urging them to click a link and sign in. But while scams are evolving, who loses money — and how much — varies widely by age.

While adults aged 18-24 are the most frequent targets of these increasingly sophisticated tax scams, people in this age group who have fallen victim to a scam and lost money as a result tend to lose smaller amounts. 9% of people aged 18-24 report losses between $0-$250 and 20% say they lost $751-$1,000. The highest reported loss amounts come from those aged 45-54, with 10% losing over $10,000.

Some fraud tactics include:

Flooding inboxes with fake IRS messages – 48% of Americans have received a fraudulent tax-related message pressuring them to act fast or face penalties.
Making scams more convincing – 55% of people report that the tax scam messages they’ve received this year are more sophisticated or realistic than last year.
Impersonating trusted tax services – 33% of people say they or someone they know received a fake email or text from a fraudulent tax preparation service (e.g., TurboTax, H&R Block) urging them to click a link and log in.
Baiting victims with fake refunds – 35% of people say they or someone they know received a scam email or text about a "tax refund" or "tax refund e-statement" containing a malicious link.

Different demographics are more likely to encounter different types of fraud, with scammers fine-tuning their tactics to maximize success.

Young adults (18-24) are the most likely to be asked for information that could fuel identity theft, with 29% saying they’ve been asked for their birth date and 23% for bank account numbers — higher than older demographics.
Older adults (65-74) are the most likely to be asked for information that could be used to carry out payment scams, with 37% reporting they’ve received demands for immediate back tax payments and 45% receiving fake tax refund scams requesting banking details.
Middle-aged adults (35-54) face a mix of requests for information that could lead to identity and payment scams, with 44% of 35-44-year-olds saying they’ve been asked for their Social Security or Tax ID number, and 36% of 45-54-year-olds receiving back tax payment demands.
Men are three times as likely to be receive cryptocurrency scam messages as women.
Women are more likely to receive tax debt threats, with 31% being told they owed back taxes and needed to pay immediately, compared to 24% of men.

Cybercriminals don’t just demand money—they go after sensitive details like Social Security numbers, birth dates, and banking information to fuel future fraud. Here’s what they’re asking for most: