Welcome To The CIT INC. Newsletter!
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. Examples of malware are viruses, cyber worms, Trojan horses, and spyware.
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 is an attempt by an individual or group to solicit personal information from unsuspecting users by employing social engineering techniques. 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.
Social Engineering is the manipulation of people into performing actions such as deviating from standard security practices or divulging confidential information that give attackers access to systems, or confidential information.
A Trojan Horse is a computer program used to attack a computer system by secretly allowing, among other things, unauthorized access or alteration of data or software.
Spyware is software installed into an information system to gather information on individuals or organizations without their knowledge.
A Virus is a computer program used to compromise a computer system by performing functions that may be destructive. A virus may alter other programs to include a copy of itself.
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.
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.