Tax season is here, and so are scammers. State officials said fraud schemes often spike this time of year, targeting people who are rushing to file.Tax season can create stress and urgency, and that’s exactly what scammers try to exploit, but officials said there are simple steps people can take to stay safe. Christopher Curtis is the director of the Attorney General Consumer Assistance Program. He said from 2024 to 2025, they saw a tripling of complaints related to tax scams “Interestingly, those were not the IRS tax scam, government and imposter scams. Those were scams related to tax relief, programs or alleged programs or debt collection of back taxes owed,” Curtis said. He recommends seeking tax professional help to avoid these scams.At the South Burlington Senior Center, AARP tax-aide volunteers are offering free, in-person tax preparation to help people file safely”We’re basically advising people to file a return even if they don’t necessarily need to file, because that helps them to avoid a scam,” said Susan Soltau, a site coordinator for AARP Tax Aide. Last year, the site completed more than 140 returns, and this season is already booked through April.”This is the fourth year that we’ve actually done this program with AARP Tax Aide. We have repeats every year. It’s free, and there’s no requirement,” said Rebecca Isham, the senior recreation specialist for the city of South Burlington. Volunteers said using trusted services and filing early can reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud. “They know that we’re here to help them, and that’s probably why they come to us. The IRS is not going to call you and tell you you owe taxes and you have to send bitcoin or credit cards to pay off your tax bill,” Soltau said. If you do receive an unexpected call or email demanding payment, do not respond and verify through a trusted source. “It could be hundreds or thousands of dollars that somebody is putting at risk by responding to these scammers. So slow down, stop and find a trusted contact. When all else fails, contact the consumer assistance program,” Curtis said. If you think you were scammed, it is recommended to report it right away. You can call the Consumer Assistance Program for more information.
Tax season is here, and so are scammers. State officials said fraud schemes often spike this time of year, targeting people who are rushing to file.
Tax season can create stress and urgency, and that’s exactly what scammers try to exploit, but officials said there are simple steps people can take to stay safe.
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Christopher Curtis is the director of the Attorney General Consumer Assistance Program. He said from 2024 to 2025, they saw a tripling of complaints related to tax scams
“Interestingly, those were not the IRS tax scam, government and imposter scams. Those were scams related to tax relief, programs or alleged programs or debt collection of back taxes owed,” Curtis said.
He recommends seeking tax professional help to avoid these scams.
At the South Burlington Senior Center, AARP tax-aide volunteers are offering free, in-person tax preparation to help people file safely
“We’re basically advising people to file a return even if they don’t necessarily need to file, because that helps them to avoid a scam,” said Susan Soltau, a site coordinator for AARP Tax Aide.
Last year, the site completed more than 140 returns, and this season is already booked through April.
“This is the fourth year that we’ve actually done this program with AARP Tax Aide. We have repeats every year. It’s free, and there’s no requirement,” said Rebecca Isham, the senior recreation specialist for the city of South Burlington.
Volunteers said using trusted services and filing early can reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud.
“They know that we’re here to help them, and that’s probably why they come to us. The IRS is not going to call you and tell you you owe taxes and you have to send bitcoin or credit cards to pay off your tax bill,” Soltau said.
If you do receive an unexpected call or email demanding payment, do not respond and verify through a trusted source.
“It could be hundreds or thousands of dollars that somebody is putting at risk by responding to these scammers. So slow down, stop and find a trusted contact. When all else fails, contact the consumer assistance program,” Curtis said.
If you think you were scammed, it is recommended to report it right away. You can call the Consumer Assistance Program for more information.
