Tax season in Maryland is starting to feel less like paperwork and more like a crime thriller, as state and Baltimore officials warn residents that scammers are using artificial intelligence and social-media impersonations to crank out fake IRS notices that look and sound disturbingly real. Comptroller Brooke Lierman says fraudsters are getting better at fooling people into handing over sensitive information, and her office is ramping up fraud checks as returns roll in. The message from every level of government is simple: slow down, verify, and report anything that feels even slightly off.
What the IRS Is Warning
The Internal Revenue Service has put AI-enabled schemes and IRS impersonation by email, text, and phone at the top of its 2026 "Dirty Dozen" list, after logging more than 600 social-media impersonators in fiscal 2025. According to the IRS, scammers often pair scary language with QR codes that send people to phony websites designed to drop malware or quietly harvest personal data. The agency also repeats a key reminder: it generally contacts taxpayers by mail first and does not leave threatening prerecorded messages demanding instant action.
The IRS urges people not to click unexpected links and to treat surprise messages that use high-pressure tactics as a red flag. If a text or email insists you must act "right now" to avoid arrest or huge penalties, that urgency is usually the tell.
Robocalls, Texts and Phishing Are Rising
Consumer-protection officials say robocalls, text messages, and phishing emails are all up this tax season, and artificial intelligence is likely helping scammers scale up both the volume and polish of their attacks, as reported by the Associated Press. Fresh numbers from the Identity Theft Resource Center for 2025 show more targeted phishing attempts and a spike in spam after data breaches, which can leave people even more exposed to tax-related identity theft.
Security experts warn that stolen personal data plus AI tools is a rough combination for taxpayers: criminals can tailor convincing messages that look like they came from a real agency or employer and then use them to pry open bank accounts, steal refunds, or file bogus returns.
What Experts Tell You To Do
“Type, don’t tap,” Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, told the Associated Press, urging people to manually enter official web addresses instead of clicking links in unsolicited texts or emails. That tiny bit of extra effort can be the difference between visiting a real government page and landing on a clone site built to rob you.
Tax professionals also advise forwarding any suspicious IRS-related emails to [email protected] and going directly to official agency websites for instructions rather than trusting embedded links. The agency notes that it usually contacts taxpayers by mail first and does not demand immediate payment or threaten arrest over the phone, according to the IRS.
Maryland Resources and Local Numbers
Comptroller Brooke Lierman’s office reports that it flagged and blocked more than 15,447 fraudulent returns and nearly $42,933,920 in bogus refunds last year under expanded screening efforts. Officials are urging Marylanders who get sketchy calls, emails, or letters about taxes to contact MyCOMConnect or call 1-800-MDTAXES, and to file a report with local police if money has already been taken.
Residents can find detailed state guidance in an advisory from the Comptroller of Maryland, which outlines what to do if you suspect a scam and how to verify that a notice is legitimate.
How To Report Scams and What To Keep
If you think someone has filed a tax return in your name, start at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan, then follow IRS instructions to sort out tax-related identity theft. Forward phishing emails that claim to be from the IRS to [email protected], report impersonation calls to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and log complaints at ReportFraud.ftc.gov so investigators can spot patterns.
Officials also recommend holding on to every scrap of evidence: copies of messages, screenshots, payment records, and any police reports. AARP’s fraud-prevention director notes that insisting on a local police report can matter later if you try to recover your money or clear your record.
This filing season, the core defense has not changed. Take a breath before you respond, double-check who is really contacting you, and report anything suspicious. Federal and state agencies say the more evidence people save and submit through official channels, the faster they can shut down scams before they hit the next taxpayer.
