How to Report IRS and Tax Scams: A Step-by-Step Guide

Your parent just got a threatening voicemail from someone pretending to be the IRS. Or maybe they received a phishing email about a fake tax refund. Or perhaps they already sent money to a scammer and you're trying to figure out what to do next.

Regardless of the specifics, reporting is important — even if your parent didn't lose any money. Every report helps law enforcement identify phone numbers, track criminal networks, and issue public warnings. Here's exactly where to report, what information to provide, and what to expect after you file.

Report 1: Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)

This is the primary agency for IRS impersonation scams.

• Online: treasury.gov/tigta (click "IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting")
• Phone: 1-800-366-4484

TIGTA is the inspector general's office responsible for investigating crimes related to the IRS — including people who impersonate IRS agents. This is the most targeted place to report a fake IRS call, email, or letter.

What to include in your report:

• The phone number displayed on caller ID
• The date and time of the call or email
• What the caller said — the specific threat or claim they made
• Whether they demanded payment and by what method (gift cards, wire, crypto)
• Whether any money was sent
• Whether any personal information was provided (SSN, bank details)
• Any callback numbers the scammer gave
• If it was an email, the sender's email address and any links in the message

TIGTA doesn't provide follow-up on individual reports, but they use the data to identify scam operations and coordinate with law enforcement to shut them down.

Report 2: The IRS directly

The IRS has several channels for reporting different types of scams.

For phishing emails

Forward the suspicious email to [email protected]. Do not click any links in the email before forwarding. The IRS's cybersecurity team analyzes these submissions to identify and take down fraudulent websites.

For phishing text messages (smishing)

Forward the text to 202-552-1226. Include the full text of the message. You can also take a screenshot and email it to [email protected].

For fake IRS letters received by mail

If your parent received a physical letter that appears to be from the IRS but seems suspicious, verify it by calling 1-800-829-1040. If it's confirmed as fake, mail the letter to:

IRS, Attn: Return Preparer Office, 401 W. Peachtree St. NW, Suite 2137, Atlanta, GA 30308

For tax-related identity theft

If a scammer used your parent's information to file a fraudulent tax return, file IRS Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit). You can submit it:

• Online at irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams
• By mail with your parent's legitimate tax return
• Through your parent's tax preparer

Also request an Identity Protection PIN, which prevents future fraudulent filings. See our guide on what to do if your parent gave their SSN to a scammer for full identity theft recovery steps.

Report 3: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Online: ReportFraud.ftc.gov

The FTC collects fraud reports in a national database called Consumer Sentinel, which is used by over 3,000 law enforcement agencies across the country. Filing with the FTC takes about 10 minutes and creates an official record that can support police reports and insurance claims.

The FTC doesn't investigate individual cases, but patterns across thousands of reports drive enforcement actions. If hundreds of people report the same phone number or the same scam script, that data triggers an investigation.

Report 4: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Online: ic3.gov

File with the FBI's IC3 if:

• The scam involved the internet (phishing email, fake website)
• Money was sent electronically (wire transfer, cryptocurrency, bank transfer)
• The scammer is suspected to be operating internationally

The IC3 is particularly relevant for larger-dollar losses. Their Recovery Asset Team works with financial institutions to freeze fraudulent transfers. In 2023, the team successfully froze over $538 million in stolen funds across 3,000+ incidents. The faster you file after money is sent, the better the chances of interception.

Report 5: Local police

Call your parent's local police department and file a report. Some departments handle fraud reports online or over the phone.

A police report is useful for:

• Creating an official law enforcement record
• Supporting credit disputes with banks and creditors
• Qualifying for an extended fraud alert (7 years)
• Documenting the crime for potential restitution if perpetrators are caught

Ask for the report number and keep a copy. You may need to reference it multiple times.

Report 6: State Attorney General

Find your state's AG office at naag.org. Many have dedicated elder fraud units or consumer protection divisions.

State AGs are especially useful when the scam involves a company or individual operating within the state. They can issue subpoenas, file civil suits, and coordinate with federal agencies. Some states also have elder abuse hotlines that handle financial exploitation reports.

What happens after you report

Reporting is important, but it's also important to have realistic expectations about the outcome.

What will happen:

• Your report will be logged in federal and state databases
• Pattern analysis across thousands of reports drives enforcement actions
• Phone numbers and email addresses you report may be flagged, blocked, or added to public scam alerts
• If money was sent recently (especially by wire transfer), the IC3 Recovery Asset Team may attempt to freeze the funds

What probably won't happen:

• You're unlikely to receive a follow-up call telling you the scammer was caught
• Individual small-dollar losses are rarely investigated as standalone cases
• Gift card and cryptocurrency payments are almost never recovered

This isn't a reason to skip reporting. The aggregate data from individual reports is what makes large-scale enforcement possible. The DOJ, FBI, and FTC regularly announce major elder fraud takedowns — and every one of those cases was built, in part, on individual reports from families like yours.

Keeping records

After filing reports, organize your documentation in one place:

• TIGTA report confirmation
• FTC report number
• IC3 complaint number
• Police report number
• Copies of any suspicious emails, letters, or text messages
• Records of any money sent (receipts, transaction numbers)
• Notes on what personal information was shared

You'll reference these records when dealing with banks, credit bureaus, and the IRS. Having everything organized in one file saves hours of frustration.

Preventing future IRS scams

Once your parent has been targeted, their phone number may be circulated among scam operations. Expect follow-up attempts, possibly using different scam angles.

The best defense is the same rule that works for Social Security scams and Medicare scams: the IRS communicates by mail, not by phone, email, or text. If someone contacts your parent claiming to be from the IRS through any channel other than the U.S. postal service, it's a scam.

For printable tools to help your parent remember these rules — including the Refrigerator Defense Sheet, call-handling scripts, and a complete identity protection checklist — the Elder Scam Shield guide puts everything in one toolkit for $14.