Criminals are targeting retirees with fake IRS messages and identity theft schemes. The good news? You have more power to stop them than you might think.
Sponsored By: Incogni
For most Americans, tax season means paperwork, patience, and a refund check. But for cybercriminals, tax season means something else entirely: an opportunity. And increasingly, their most common targets are retirees.
The encouraging news is that awareness goes a long way. Once you understand how these scams work (and what makes you a target in the first place) you can take meaningful steps to protect yourself.
What Tax Scams Look Like Today
Today’s tax scams are far more convincing than the clumsy phishing emails of years past. Fraudsters now use official-looking IRS logos, government-style formatting, fake case numbers, and threatening language to create a sense of urgency. Here are the most common schemes targeting seniors right now:
Fake IRS Emails and Texts
These messages warn that your “tax account is under review” or that “immediate action is required to avoid penalties.” They include convincing links that lead to fake government portals, and any information you enter, from your Social Security number to your bank account details, goes straight to the scammer.
“Refund Issue” Alerts
If you’re expecting a refund, a message saying “your refund has been delayed due to a verification issue” can feel entirely plausible. Scammers count on that. They send these alerts right when you’d naturally be checking your bank balance, catching you off guard and making the click feel like the responsible thing to do.
Benefits and Identity Verification Scams
These schemes impersonate the IRS, Social Security Administration, or state tax offices. They claim your benefits or tax records are “on hold” and must be verified immediately. The goal is to trigger panic, because panic makes people act before they think.
Why Scammers Know Your Name
One of the most unsettling things about these scams is how personal they feel. The message might include your name, your city, or even a reference to a tax service you actually use. This isn’t a coincidence; it’s the result of data brokers.
Data brokers are companies that collect and sell personal profiles, often including your full name and address history, phone numbers and email addresses, estimated income, property records, and family members. Scammers buy this data and use it to make their messages feel tailor-made.
For retirees living on fixed incomes, the financial and emotional toll of identity theft can be devastating, and the recovery process is long.
You Have More Control Than You Think
Scammers don’t conjure your personal details out of thin air. They purchase them.
And the companies selling that information (data brokers and people-search sites) are often required by law to take it down if you ask.
A service like Incogni can file removal requests with more than 420 data brokers, tracking which ones have complied, and repeating the process when your data creeps back. Plans start at $6.39 per month (billed annually), and a family plan extends that protection to up to five people. Their Incogni Protect plan can also provide credit monitoring and coverage for up to $1M in the worst-case scenario of identity theft.
When your financial security is what’s at stake, a service like Incogni that has your back 24/7 online is worth far more than the cost of a monthly streaming subscription.
Simple Steps to Protect Yourself This Tax Season
A few straightforward habits can make a big difference:
- Never click links in tax-related emails or texts—go directly to official websites like IRS.gov.
- Use strong, unique passwords for your tax filing service and email account.
- Enable two-factor authentication wherever it’s available.
- Consider freezing your credit if you’re not actively applying for new accounts.
- Request that data brokers remove your personal information, or use a service like Incogni to do it for you.
