Average tax scam loss is $1,020 — victims skew younger

Tax season is driving a wave of scams that aim to steal money or sensitive information. McAfee's 2026 Tax Season Survey found 82% of Americans are worried about tax fraud; 40% said scam messages feel more sophisticated than last year, and more than 30% reported being contacted by someone claiming to be the IRS or another tax authority.

About 23% of respondents said they had fallen for a tax scam, rising to 42% among 18–24-year-olds. Over 10% reported tax-related identity theft, and almost 20% said they lost money, with the average loss at $1,020. Between Sept. 1, 2025, and Feb. 19, 2026, McAfee found 1,468 malicious or suspicious tax-themed domains—roughly 43 new fake tax sites per day—and noted a sharp increase in early November.

Scammers often mimic IRS or government sites, use misleading subdomains or text around IRS.gov, and have even charged fees such as $319 to file for an EIN, which the IRS offers for free.

United States

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