December 2025 Scam Alert: IRS Direct Deposit Emails

TrainMyParent.com
2 days ago
2 min read

The Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, DC — The IRS never contacts you by email!

IRS scams have been around for quite awhile. Typically, they inform you of a refund (yay!), or a violation (dang!), in an attempt to get you to reveal your personal information, or to direct you to a malicious website that installs malware on your computer. There is a natural ebb and flow to these scams, but recently we are seeing a huge uptick in IRS scam emails.

Within the past week we are getting many reports of direct deposit scam emails supposedly from the IRS (irs.gov) being sent to many of our subscribers. These emails say that the recipient is due to receive a stimulus relief payment, and needs to verify the bank information and to act now to get that payment.

As you hopefully see, the emails are creating a sense of urgency (you need to act now!) and the promise of a payout (a direct deposit), along with the need to validate personal information (your Social Security Number and bank account details). These are all typical traits of online scam campaigns.

If you do click on the link provided in the email, you typically would be brought to a website that looks identical to the actual IRS website, but isn’t, and asked to enter your personal details, all of which will be used to try to steal your money, open accounts in your name, pre-file a fake tax return on your behalf (to collect the refund you might not be due), and possibly infect your computer.

Remember, the IRS will NEVER contact you by email. They only initially communicate via U.S. mail, sending a letter directly to the address of record. They never demand immediate payment. They never require you to pay in cryptocurrencies or gift cards. They never threaten local police involvement.

What you can do if you receive an IRS phishing email? You can forward it to phishing@irs.gov, and report it to to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at TIGTA.gov or by calling 1-800-366-4484. Finally, you can report it Report the to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Learn how you can protect yourself or your family by enrolling in the Complete Internet Security Basics and Phishing Awareness Course for Parents on TrainMyParent.com

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