As a new filing season approaches, the IRS is once again warning taxpayers about thieves looking to steal both your refund and your identity. According to Spokesperson Patricia Russomagno, the 2016 filing season saw a 400 percent surge in phishing and malware incidents.
"In which criminals sent unsolicited emails to lure taxpayers into handing over personal and financial information," Russomagno says.
She says they're already developing new tactics. One new scam targets students saying they owe a federal student tax. Another tells people they owe a phony tax related to the Affordable Care Act.
So what can you do to protect yourself from falling prey? For one thing, be careful what you click on even if it looks legit.
"Don't open suspicious emails," Russomagno says. "Don't click on links that say they may be from the IRS or other government agencies. They're not. We don't send emails that way."
Also beware of callers who say they're from the IRS and demand you pay them immediately and in a certain way.
"So if they are saying you need to pay me but I need it via a gift card, those are all signs,' Russomagno says. "We do not tell you how to pay us."
They also won't threaten you. That is another telltale sign the person on the phone is a fake.
"They're apt to tell you you're going to be arrested. You're going to be deported. Those are all signs because we don't threaten people. We're very willing to work with people," Russomagno says.
Not all fraudsters pose as the IRS. Tax time is also high season for shady preparers.
If you plan to hire a tax professional, experts say ask for friends and family for recommendations and look into the preparer's experience before you hand over the keys to your identity.
"Because never forget this: your preparer has all your vital tax information, all your personal information," says Cary Ziter of NY State Department of Taxation and Finance.
For more on security for taxpayers, visit irs.gov.