Here's the deal.

You get a text or email that looks like it's from the IRS. It says you're owed a refund. Or it says there's a problem with your return. Or it threatens legal action if you don't respond immediately.

The message includes a link. Click it, and you land on a fake website designed to steal your Social Security number, bank account info, or both.

Some common versions showing up right now:

"Your tax refund of $976.00 is ready. Click here to claim."

"Your account has been put on hold. Unusual Activity Report. Click here for solutions."

"IRS Notice: Your tax return was banned. Verify immediately."

These messages often have spelling errors and awkward phrasing. But they're getting better. And when you're stressed about taxes, it's easy to click before you think.

The golden rule: The IRS does not initiate contact by email, text, or social media. Ever. They send letters through the U.S. mail.

If you get a message claiming to be from the IRS, don't click any links. Don't call any numbers in the message. If you're worried about your actual tax situation, go directly to IRS.gov or call them at a number you look up yourself.

And if someone demands payment in gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency? That's a scam, 100% of the time. The IRS doesn't accept iTunes cards as payment for your tax bill.

Scammers don't just use urgency. They use timing.

Tax season scams spike in January through April. Shipping scams spike during the holidays. Medicare scams spike during open enrollment. Charity scams spike after natural disasters.

They know when you're already thinking about these topics. When you're more likely to believe a message is real. When your guard is down because the timing "makes sense."

The pattern: If a message arrives right when you'd expect it to, that doesn't make it legitimate. It might mean a scammer is exploiting the calendar.

The fix: Treat messages that arrive at "perfect timing" with extra caution, not less. Real organizations don't need perfect timing to reach you. They just send mail.

Job scams just doubled.

According to the BBB, job scams are now in the top three most reported scams, and the numbers have more than doubled from last year. With layoffs making headlines and more people looking for remote work, scammers are taking advantage.

Here's how it works: You apply for a remote job online. You get an email saying you're hired. Maybe there's even a "virtual interview" over chat. Then you're asked to provide your Social Security number, driver's license, or bank account info for "onboarding paperwork."

Sometimes they send you a check to buy equipment for your new job. The check is for more than you need, and they ask you to send the extra back. The check bounces. You're out the money.

Signs of a job scam:

All communication happens over email or text. No actual phone calls, no real conversations.

You're offered the job almost immediately, with unrealistic pay and vague job descriptions.

They ask for personal information before you've had a real interview.

They ask you to pay for training, equipment, or background checks upfront.

Real employers don't ask for your Social Security number before they've actually hired you. And they never send you money and ask you to send some back.

Got a suspicious tax message? Not sure if that job offer is real?

ScamRank can help.

Paste any text, email, or screenshot into ScamRank. Get a clear Trust Signal: green, yellow, or red. Plus a plain-English explanation of what we found.

Free: Check up to 3 messages a month.

7-Day Free Trial: Unlimited checks, full explanations, saved history, and recommended actions.

Try it now at ScamRank.com

Tax season is stressful enough. Don't let scammers add to it.

This one is brand new.

New York just announced it as the "Medicare Fraud of the Month" for January: scams targeting seniors about the 2026 prescription drug cap.

Here's the background. Starting this year, Medicare Part D has a new $2,100 yearly cap on out-of-pocket prescription costs. Once you hit that cap, you pay nothing more for covered drugs for the rest of the year. It's actually good news.

But scammers are using this change to call seniors and claim they need to pay an "enrollment fee" or "processing fee" to qualify for the new cap. Some are asking for Medicare numbers to "verify" eligibility.

The truth: You don't need to do anything special to get the new cap. It applies automatically. No fee is required. Medicare will never call asking for payment before you can access benefits.

If you or someone you love gets a call about "qualifying" for the new prescription cap, hang up. If you have questions about your Medicare coverage, call 1-800-MEDICARE directly.