At Christina’s Income Tax Inc., maintaining the security of your personal data is our top priority. As tax-related scams and identity theft attempts continue to increase, we are committed to keeping our clients informed, prepared, and protected. This newsletter is designed to raise awareness about common fraud tactics targeting taxpayers. Our mission is not only to support your tax needs but also to act as a reliable resource for safeguarding your identity throughout the year.

We encourage you to review the information below carefully and remain vigilant when handling any unsolicited communications related to your taxes or personal data:

1) Fraudsters often pose as representatives from government agencies, including the IRS, The Franchise Tax Board, The Social Security Administration, or Medicare. By manipulating caller IDs, scammers can deceive victims into believing they are receiving legitimate communications from the IRS or The Franchise Tax Board.

2) The IRS and Franchise Tax Board will not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information. This includes requests for personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords, or similar access information for credit cards, banks, or other financial accounts. Scammers often call taxpayers telling them they owe taxes and face arrest if they don’t pay. The IRS will never threaten to revoke the taxpayer's driver's license, business licenses, or immigration status as a threat.

3) The IRS has identified a concerning trend where fraudulent actors are increasingly targeting unsuspecting individuals, particularly senior citizens, by posing as IRS agents. Victims are pressured into making immediate payments through unorthodox methods such as gift cards or wire transfers under the pretense of resolving fictitious tax liabilities or securing false refunds. These scammers deploy advanced techniques to fabricate credibility, including the manipulation of caller IDs to appear legitimate.

4) The Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers to be on the lookout for a new mailing scam that tries to mislead people into believing they are owed a refund. The fraudulent, enclosed letter includes the IRS logo, and wording that the notice is "in relation to your unclaimed refund." Like many scams, the letter includes contact information and a phone number that do not belong to the IRS. But it also seeks a variety of sensitive personal information from taxpayers – including detailed pictures of driver's licenses – that can be used by identity thieves to try obtaining a tax refund and other sensitive financial information.

5) Scammers send emails, direct messages (DMs), and texts that appear to be from the IRS, often using alarming language and QR codes that direct taxpayers to fake IRS websites to “verify” accounts, enter personal information, or claim refunds. The IRS urges taxpayers not to click links or open attachments from unexpected messages and to report suspicious IRS-related emails, DMs, and texts. The IRS reported over 600 social media impersonators during fiscal year 2025. As a reminder, never click any unsolicited communication claiming to be from the IRS, as it may install malware. These links may install malicious software, including ransomware, on a taxpayer’s personal device, potentially preventing access to their files or personal information.

• Malware refers to the malicious software programs designed to damage or perform other unwanted actions on a computer system. Once inside a system, it may perform a range of harmful activities, including stealing sensitive information, corrupting or deleting files, spying on user activity, slowing down system performance, or giving attackers remote control over the device.

• Ransomware is a type of malicious software, designed to block access to a computer system until a ransom is paid. Ransomware is typically spread through phishing emails or by unknowingly visiting an infected website.

• Phishing emails are crafted to appear as if they have been sent from a legitimate organization or known individual. These emails often attempt to entice users to click on a link that will take the user to a fraudulent website that appears legitimate.

• A Trojan Horse is a type of malicious software (malware) that disguises itself as a legitimate or harmless program in order to trick users into installing or running it. Once activated, it can secretly perform unauthorized actions on a computer system without the user’s knowledge or consent.

• Spyware is software installed into an information system to gather information on individuals or organizations without their knowledge. Once installed, spyware can monitor a wide range of activities, such as tracking browsing habits, recording keystrokes (including passwords and credit card details), capturing screenshots, and collecting personal or sensitive data.

• A computer Virus is a computer program used to compromise a computer system by performing functions that may be destructive. Once activated, a virus can perform a variety of disruptive functions, such as corrupting or deleting data, modifying system files, slowing down system performance, or causing programs to malfunction

• A Cyber Worm is a computer program used to compromise a computer system by impacting performance. A Cyber Worm can travel from computer to computer across network connections, replicating itself. Once a worm infects a system, it automatically replicates itself and transmits copies to other computers through network connections, email systems, or security vulnerabilities. As it spreads, it can significantly degrade system and network performance by using up bandwidth, memory, and processing power. Because of their ability to spread quickly and independently, cyber worms can cause widespread damage to both individual systems and entire networks in a short period of time.

6) The IRS will never: call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a gift card, prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The IRS will never demand that taxpayers pay taxes without the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they owe. The IRS will never threaten to bring in local police, immigration officers or other law enforcement to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.