the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, As the 2026 tax season hits its peak, a new wave of “bad actors” is using more than just scary phone calls to target your wallet. This year, the IRS is warning taxpayers about a massive spike in AI-generated phishing and automated scams that look more convincing than ever.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, during tax season, threat actors target taxpayers and their data in order to file fraudulent tax returns, collect refunds, and engage in other identity theft schemes. Threat actors seek out tax information, including W-2 information and personally identifiable information (PII) – such as Social Security numbers (SSNs), dates of birth, bank account or credit card numbers, and drivers’ license numbers. They heavily rely on social engineering tactics conducted through email, phone, and text messages. These social engineering scams attempt to appear or sound convincing and authentic in order to trick recipients into disclosing sensitive information or credentials for online accounts. If they can steal a target’s data and identity, they can also steal their tax refund. We share some common tax scams and recommendations to help protect your identity, data, and tax refunds.
