HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro is advising Pennsylvanians ahead of the April 18 tax filing deadline to be careful when receiving calls or texts that claim to be about their taxes. Scammers will often pose as the IRS or a fake tax agency called the “Bureau of Tax Enforcement” to try and frighten consumers into giving away their personal information and hard earned money.

According to Shapiro, “They want you to panic and hand over your money and personal information as quickly as possible. Pennsylvanians should know the tricks these scammers use so they can keep calm and keep themselves, their money, and their personal information safe.”

IRS scams are popular at the beginning of every year when people are normally in contact with tax preparation companies and IRS agents. In an IRS scam, fraudsters demand money or personal information by acting as agency representatives.

Whether it’s tax season or not, Pennsylvanians should always watch out for calls, letters, or text messages with suspicious characteristics that include:

Pennsylvanians with questions or who feel they may have been victimized by a tax scam should submit a complaint with the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection by visiting the website, emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov, or calling 1-800-441-2555.