Forward an IRS-impersonation email or fake website link to [email protected]. Report an impersonation phone call through the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting route. If you sent money or personal information, stop communicating with the scammer, contact the affected bank or financial institution, and use IdentityTheft.gov for recovery steps. Tax-related identity theft has a separate IRS process, and Form 14039 is not an automatic requirement.
The right response depends on what happened, what information was exposed, and whether the IRS has already contacted you. The procedures below reflect IRS guidance and Form 14039 Revision 2-2026 information available October 13, 2026; reporting channels and form instructions can change.
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Choose the right IRS scam-reporting route
A suspicious message, a fraudulent tax return filed in your name, and a payment sent to a scammer are different incidents. Use this matrix to identify the first action, then follow the detailed instructions for your situation.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →| What happened | Information or account involved | First report or contact | Immediate follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unexpected email, text, social-media message or fake IRS website | No information or payment sent | Forward the email or link to [email protected] |
Do not reply, click further, or provide information; retain the message |
| Caller impersonated the IRS | No information or payment sent | Use TIGTA’s IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting route | End the call and preserve the caller’s number, date and demands |
| Tax fraud, evasion or another tax-law violation | Conduct beyond a single suspicious message | Use the IRS “Report tax fraud, a scam or law violation” process and select the matching report type | Provide only facts you can document |
| Someone used your SSN, ITIN or tax account | Tax identity or return information | Follow the IRS instructions for the notice or identity-theft situation and use IdentityTheft.gov for broader recovery | Use Form 14039 only if the IRS says it applies |
| Money, card details or bank information was sent | Payment account or financial information | Contact the affected financial institution promptly and use IdentityTheft.gov | Stop all contact and watch for a second scam promising paid recovery |
How to report a suspicious IRS email or fake website
Forward the message or link
Send the suspicious email, or the link to the fake site, to [email protected]. Forwarding preserves useful details such as the sender address, message headers and destination link. If the message is a text or social-media post rather than an email, retain a screenshot and the account details while using the IRS reporting instructions for that type of impersonation.
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Do not engage with the sender
- Do not reply, even to ask whether the demand is real.
- Do not provide your SSN, ITIN, date of birth, bank details, card number, login credentials or one-time verification code.
- Do not follow additional links, download an attachment or install software offered by the sender.
- Do not pay a “tax bill” with a gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or other demanded method.
The IRS says it does not initiate contact by email or social media to request personal or financial information. A message that uses urgency, threats of arrest, demands for immediate payment or a promise of a refund is not made trustworthy by an IRS logo or an apparently official web address.
Record what you received
Keep the original message, the full sender address, the visible and destination URLs, attachments, screenshots and the date and time. Do not alter the original before forwarding it. These records help distinguish a harmless solicitation from a coordinated impersonation attempt and give you a reference if the scam later becomes an identity-theft case.
How to report an IRS-impersonation phone call
End the call without confirming details
Do not answer the caller’s questions or confirm that the SSN, address, employer, bank account or tax balance they quoted belongs to you. Do not call back using a number supplied by the caller. A genuine tax issue can be checked through your established IRS account or by using contact information on an IRS notice you already possess.
Use TIGTA’s impersonation-scam route
IRS guidance directs people to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for impersonation calls and other schemes in which someone pretends to be the IRS. Use TIGTA’s IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting route and provide the caller’s number, the number displayed on caller ID if different, date and time, claimed agency, demand, payment method and any website or callback number. Do not include guesses as facts.
Escalate if information was disclosed
A report to TIGTA documents the impersonation, but it does not replace identity-theft recovery. If you gave the caller personal, tax or financial information, use the relevant steps in the sections below as well.
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Reporting other tax fraud or violations
Not every tax-related scam is limited to an email or call pretending to be the IRS. False deductions, unreported income, fraudulent returns, abusive preparer conduct and other violations use the IRS “Report tax fraud, a scam or law violation” process. Select the report type that matches what you know. That process distinguishes fake IRS messages, tax-related identity theft and other fraud, so do not describe a tax-return identity theft case as merely a phishing email if a return was filed using your identity.
Give the IRS dates, names, addresses, employer or preparer information, transaction records and copies of documents when available. Separate what you personally observed from what another person told you. Do not access another person’s account or obtain records illegally to strengthen a report.
What to do if you already sent money or personal information
Stop the conversation immediately
Do not send a final explanation, negotiate a refund or accept instructions from someone who claims to be a supervisor. Block the account or number after preserving evidence. Scammers frequently return with a second offer to recover your money for an upfront fee; treat that approach as another scam.
Contact the affected financial institution
Call the bank, card issuer, payment service or other financial institution using a number from a statement, card or established account—not a number in the scam message. Explain exactly what was sent, when, how much, and whether the transaction is pending. Ask what cancellation, recall, replacement, account closure or fraud-monitoring steps are available. If online-banking credentials were disclosed, ask how to secure the account and review recent access.
Use IdentityTheft.gov for broader recovery
IdentityTheft.gov provides recovery steps when personal information, a payment account or other identity data was exposed. Follow its plan for documenting the incident, contacting companies, replacing compromised credentials and addressing fraudulent accounts. IRS reporting and financial-institution reporting are separate actions; completing one does not automatically complete the others.
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Match the response to what was exposed
- Credit-card information: contact the issuer, request the issuer’s fraud process and monitor or replace the card as directed.
- Bank-account or payment credentials: contact the financial institution promptly and ask about transaction review and account protection.
- General personal information: use IdentityTheft.gov’s identity-theft recovery plan and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze.
- SSN, ITIN or tax-account information: follow the IRS identity-theft instructions in addition to the broader IdentityTheft.gov steps.
How to handle suspected tax-related identity theft
Start with the IRS notice or case-specific guide
If the IRS sent a letter or notice, use the response method and contact information printed on that notice. Keep the original and copies of everything you send. Do not substitute a generic online report when the notice gives a specific verification or response path.
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If an e-filed return was rejected
An electronic return can be rejected because someone already filed using your SSN or ITIN. Report the situation through the applicable IRS identity-theft instructions and continue following the filing directions the IRS provides. In some cases, the IRS may require a paper return. Keep the rejection message and any filing confirmation for your records.
Use the Identity and Tax Return Verification Service when instructed
Some notices tell you to use the IRS Identity and Tax Return Verification Service. Use that service and do not also file Form 14039 unless the IRS directs you to do so. If you cannot sign in, call the number on the notice. The notice-specific process is the controlling instruction for that case.
Understand when Form 14039 applies
Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, is Revision 2-2026. The form states, “This affidavit is for victims of identity theft.” It is not a universal response to a suspicious email or every stolen SSN.
The IRS individual identity-theft guide says most people do not need to file Form 14039. Do not file it when:
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- You already sent the form for the same incident.
- The IRS has sent you a letter or notice that gives another response process.
- The matter is not tax-related.
- The IRS Identity and Tax Return Verification Service applies.
Use Form 14039 only when the IRS instructions say it fits—for example, when you need to report possible tax-related identity theft that is not already on file and you cannot use the verification service. Complete it online or submit it as its current instructions direct. Never send a duplicate affidavit for the same incident. Check the current IRS form and guide before submitting because procedures can change.
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Get an Identity Protection PIN
The IRS encourages taxpayers to obtain an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN). The six-digit PIN helps prevent another person from filing a federal return using your tax identity. Keep the PIN private and use it as directed when filing; it is not a replacement for reporting an identity-theft incident already in progress.
Create and monitor an IRS online account
An IRS online account uses multifactor authentication. Set one up if you can, review account activity and watch for notices or return information you do not recognize. Use a unique password and never share an authentication code with a caller or message sender claiming to be the IRS.
Consider a fraud alert or credit freeze
For broader identity exposure or a data breach, IRS guidance describes contacting a major credit bureau about a fraud alert and considering a credit freeze. A fraud alert asks businesses to take extra steps before opening credit in your name. A freeze restricts access to your credit file until you lift it. Choose based on whether you need to apply for credit soon and follow the bureau’s current instructions.
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Use IdentityTheft.gov’s recovery guidance and contact each company where an account was opened without your authorization. Ask for closure, written confirmation and records of the fraudulent account if available. Keep a log of dates, representatives, case numbers and documents.
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What evidence to preserve and what to expect
Keep a single incident file
Store scam messages, notices, caller details, bank records, e-file rejection notices, forms, letters sent and confirmation numbers together. Record every report and contact. When replying to IRS correspondence, follow the letter and retain a copy of your response and proof of delivery when applicable.
Do not assume a report produces an instant resolution
Reporting an impersonation attempt helps the responsible agency identify schemes, but it does not by itself reverse a payment, remove a fraudulent return or restore an account. Those outcomes require the financial institution’s process, the IRS case-specific process or IdentityTheft.gov recovery actions described for the exposure.
Watch for follow-up impersonation
After a report or data exposure, a scammer may claim to be from the IRS, TIGTA, a bank or a recovery service and ask for a fee or additional verification code. Do not provide new information through an unsolicited contact. Verify independently through the notice, statement or established account.
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Common mistakes that delay recovery
- Using one report for every situation: a phishing email, an impersonation call, tax fraud and tax identity theft have different reporting paths.
- Filing Form 14039 automatically: most people do not need it, and duplicate or inapplicable forms can conflict with the IRS process already assigned to the case.
- Continuing to negotiate: more replies give the scammer additional personal details and opportunities to demand payment.
- Calling a number in the message: use the IRS notice, established account or financial statement instead.
- Reporting only to the IRS after a payment: the bank or payment provider must be contacted promptly because it controls its own cancellation and fraud procedures.
- Discarding evidence: deleting the message or failing to save a notice can make later verification harder.
A practical checklist
If you only received a suspicious message
- Stop clicking and do not reply.
- Save the message, sender details and link.
- Forward the email or fake-site link to
[email protected]. - If it was a call instead, record the details and use TIGTA’s IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting route.
If you disclosed information or paid
- End contact and preserve the evidence.
- Call the affected financial institution using a trusted number.
- Use IdentityTheft.gov’s recovery plan.
- Take the IRS identity-theft steps if your SSN, ITIN, return or IRS account was involved.
- Consider a fraud alert or credit freeze and close unauthorized accounts when appropriate.
If the IRS sent a notice or your return was rejected
- Read the entire notice and use its contact or verification instructions.
- Use the Identity and Tax Return Verification Service if the notice directs you to do so.
- If you cannot sign in, call the number printed on the notice.
- Follow the IRS filing instructions; a paper return may be required after an identity-related e-file rejection.
- File Form 14039 only when the IRS guide says it applies, and never duplicate an affidavit for the same incident.
Keep the protections in place
Once the immediate incident is handled, continue monitoring your IRS online account, tax notices, bank and card activity, and credit reports. Keep your IP PIN private, maintain records of the case and review the current IRS reporting pages before taking a new step. The IRS, TIGTA and identity-theft procedures can change, so current agency instructions and the specific notice in your possession take precedence over older advice.
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