IRS announces "Dirty Dozen" list of scams for 2020

Americans urged to stay vigilant of these threats during pandemic

The IRS provides its annual “Dirty Dozen” list to help raise awareness about common scams that fraudsters use to target people. This year’s list has a special emphasis on aggressive and evolving schemes related to COVID-19 tax relief, including Economic Impact Payments.

The IRS urges taxpayers to watch out for these scams and is doing its part to protect Americans. The agency relentlessly pursues criminals trying to steal taxpayer money or sensitive personal financial information.

See the “Dirty Dozen” news release for more details about each topic on this year’s list:

1. Phishing

2. Fake charities

3. Threatening impersonator phone calls

4. Social media scams

5. Economic impact payments (EIPs)

6. Senior fraud

7. Scams targeting non-English speakers

8. Unscrupulous return preparers

9. Offer in Compromise mills

10. Fake payments with repayment demands

11. Payroll and human resource scams

12. Ransomware