New McAfee Research Reveals Scammers Love Tax Season—And They’re Cashing In: 51% of Victims Lose Over $1,000

New research reveals AI-driven tax scams are rising, with Gen Z emerging as a top target

• Nearly 1 in 4 Americans (23%) say they or someone they know has lost money to a tax scam.
• Close to half (48%) of people have received a fake IRS message via text, email, social media, or phone – and of those, an alarming 79% reported that the sender attempted to collect personal information, made demands, or issued threats.
• Young adults (18-24) are the most frequent tax scam targets – 12% have personally lost money and 27% know someone who has been scammed. In contrast, just 1% of adults age 65-74 have lost money to a tax scam.
• Over half (55%) of people say tax scam messages are more sophisticated or realistic than last year, and 87% are worried that AI is making these scams even harder to spot.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tax season is here, and so are the scammers. New 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. Cybercriminals are pulling out all the stops to trick Americans out of their hard-earned money, and it’s working—nearly one in four Americans say they or someone they know has lost money to a tax scam.

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.

"Scammers have long used tax season to exploit people sharing sensitive personal and financial information, but AI has made their scams more frequent and convincing than ever,” said Abhishek Karnik, Head of Threat Research at McAfee. “From deepfake audio that lets scammers impersonate IRS agents with local accents in convincing voice messages to fraudulent texts and emails that mimic real tax communications, these scams are harder to spot than ever. The best way to stay safe? Slow down, verify every message, go directly to the source, and use AI-powered online protection—because one wrong click could cost you thousands.”

How Scammers Are Targeting Americans in 2025

Cybercriminals are preying on tax season stress and urgency, using AI to make scams more realistic than ever. Their go-to 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.

Scammed While Sleepless: A New Father's Tax Season Nightmare

"I was running on barely any sleep with a newborn, and I wasn’t thinking as clearly as I normally would have," shared Bradley K., who lost $800 to a tax scam. "They spoke in a local dialect and had a lot of my personal information. It felt real."

"When I hesitated, they told me time was of the essence. I didn’t want to risk making things worse, so I sent the money," he added. Nearly a year later, Bradley is still on edge, constantly monitoring his accounts. His advice? "Scammers prey on stress. If someone calls demanding immediate payment, always take a step back and verify before acting."

Scams Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All

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.

The Personal Data Scammers Are After This Tax Season

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:

• Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number (40%)
• Back Taxes Payment Demand (27%)
• Birth Date (26%)
• Home Address (25%)
• Phone Number (22%)
• Email Address (21%)
• Bank Account Numbers (18%)
• Credit/Debit Card Information (17%)
• Fake Tax Refund Offer (15%)

How to Stay Safe This Tax Season

McAfee researchers warn that AI-powered scams are harder to detect than ever, making extra vigilance key. Here’s how to protect yourself:

• Ignore unexpected communication from the IRS. If you get a tax-related message demanding immediate payment or asking for personal information by text, email, social media, or phone, it’s probably a scam. The IRS contacts people by mail when requesting payments or additional information.
• Pause and think before you click. Scammers use urgency and fear to trick you. If a message demands quick action, skip the link and go directly to the IRS or your tax provider’s official website.
• Use good cyber hygiene. Scammers are using AI to craft convincing fraud, but tools like McAfee's AI-powered protection help detect and block scams before they can do damage. You should also use two-factor authentication, use a trusted password manager and/or unique passwords for every website, and don't share your login details with anyone else.

For more details on how to protect yourself this tax season, visit www.mcafee.com.

Methodology

A McAfee survey, which focused on the topic of tax scams and the impact of these scams on consumers, was conducted online in February 2025. 3,000 adults in the US, age 18+, participated in the study.

About McAfee

McAfee Corp. is a global leader in online protection for consumers. Focused on safeguarding people in an always-online world, McAfee’s solutions adapt to user needs, empowering individuals and families with secure, intuitive tools. For more information, visit www.mcafee.com.