As April 15 approaches, many Americans are gathering documents, racing against deadlines and hoping for a quick refund. Scammers know this, and they’re exploiting the urgency and confusion that comes with tax season. This year, tax scams aren’t just more common; they’re scalable, more polished and harder to spot.
Visa’s threat intelligence teams are seeing fraudsters professionalize their operations in ways that change the tax scam landscape. Instead of one-off schemes, criminals are increasingly relying on readymade “starter packs” for tax fraud, sold in underground forums. In fact, chatter on the dark web about tax scams was up 62% in February 2026 over January 2026.
When scammers file first, consumers feel it later
One of the most damaging trends this tax season involves fraudsters offering to file tax returns on behalf of consumers by posing as a professional. Using stolen personal information, criminals submit fraudulent returns and claim refunds before legitimate taxpayers ever file.
AI is accelerating tax scams at scale
Scammers are also turning to AI enabled phishing kits to streamline their operations. These kits automate everything from crafting realistic messages to handling early conversations with victims through bots. The result is tax scam outreach that looks more legitimate and is easier than ever to launch at scale.
Who scammers are targeting
Even though younger people might think they can’t be scammed, no one is immune. Targeting often depends on the scam itself: phone-based impersonation scams tend to target older consumers, while fake websites and digital lures more often ensnare younger ones. AI-based scams also make it easy to flood different channels, ultimately creating unsuspecting victims.
How Visa is disrupting tax scams and protecting the ecosystem
Behind the scenes, Visa is actively working to detect, disrupt, and prevent scam activity across the payments ecosystem through the Visa Scam Disruption team. Our team monitors emerging scam trends, analyzes underground activity and works closely with partners to identify suspicious behavior before it can cause widespread harm. In the first 18 months of the Visa Scam Disruption team alone, the team has identified and disrupted more than $1.5B in suspected scam activities and helped shut down more than 25,000 suspected scam merchants.
Visa also invests heavily in advanced technology and AI to help spot scam patterns faster, reduce fraud at scale, and protect consumers and businesses alike. These efforts are part of a broader, coordinated approach to safeguarding the payments ecosystem — especially during high-risk periods like tax season.
Consumers can protect themselves by staying alert
- Be skeptical of unsolicited messages. The IRS does not initiate contact via email, text, or QR codes.
- Avoid anyone offering to file your taxes or “speed up” your refund.
- Pause before clicking links or scanning QR codes in unexpected tax‑related communications.
- When in doubt, verify directly through official IRS channels.
As scammers grow more sophisticated, awareness remains one of the most powerful defenses. Staying informed can make all the difference this tax season.