Scammers Target Taxpayers, Businesses During Tax Season

Frost Law warns of emerging threats including social media tax advice, phishing emails, crypto 'pig butchering' schemes, and more

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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With tax season underway, Frost Law warned people and businesses across the nation to protect themselves against a surge of scams and schemes. Taxpayers are already seeing tax-themed threats emerge this filing season, including misleading social media tax advice, romance scams, phishing emails, crypto-based 'pig butchering' schemes, and 'new client' scams aimed at tax professionals and businesses.

Why it matters

Scam artists are exploiting tax season to trick hard-working taxpayers, with the threats becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated. These scams can result in financial losses, stolen tax refunds, and potential tax issues for victims. Educating the public about these dangers is crucial to protect taxpayers and businesses.

The details

Frost Law, headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, outlined five key scams to watch out for: 1) Bad social media tax advice from influencers, 2) Phishing emails posing as legitimate tax agencies or companies, 3) Cryptocurrency 'pig butchering' schemes that build trust before draining victims' funds, 4) Romance scams targeting lonely individuals, and 5) 'New client' scams aimed at tax professionals and businesses to steal sensitive information.

  • Tax season is currently underway, with the April 15 filing deadline approaching.

The players

Frost Law

A law firm headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that specializes in tax, business, litigation, and estate planning. The firm's team includes attorneys, CPAs, Certified Financial Planners, and Enrolled Agents who work to help clients and victims of scams.

Glen Frost

The Founder and Managing Partner of Frost Law, who warned about the surge of tax-related scams targeting taxpayers and businesses.

Alyssa Maloof Whatley

A director and attorney at Frost Law who works to dispel tax myths on social media platforms like TikTok.

Terry Lemons

The Public Relations Director at Frost Law, who previously worked at the Internal Revenue Service and created the agency's 'Dirty Dozen' tax scams list.

Heather Posey

A Frost Law attorney who has worked with dozens of scam victims, noting that losses from phishing scams may be tax-deductible.

Zoha Sohail

A Frost Law attorney who discussed the tax implications of romance scams, where victims who withdraw money from taxable accounts can be left with a tax bill.

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What they’re saying

“Scam artists are relentless, and they use tax season as cover to trick hard-working taxpayers. People can't hear these warnings enough. The tax season threats being seen are incredibly complex and sophisticated, and scammers often use advanced manipulation techniques to convince people to part with their money or lose their tax refunds.”

— Glen Frost, Founder and Managing Partner, Frost Law

“Bad social media advice goes viral instantly, and it's a real threat to well-meaning taxpayers. Influencers are trying to cash in on these schemes. But the only ones making money on these are the people posting inaccurate information. The well-intentioned taxpayers who follow this misleading advice put themselves at risk of being victims – and facing IRS action down the road.”

— Alyssa Maloof Whatley, Director and Attorney, Frost Law

“It's always a good idea to be careful with clicking links or downloading attachments that arrive on email. But during filing season, people need to use extra caution involving any unexpected tax communications. Scammers are sophisticated chameleons who understand the environment and camouflage their emails to look legitimate – and at the very time when people are desperately looking for information about their tax refunds.”

— Terry Lemons, Public Relations Director, Frost Law

“To add insult to injury, the victim can be left with a tax bill when they withdraw money from taxable accounts. Many victims don't realize there's a tax implication, or that there are ways of deducting their losses on the tax return.”

— Heather Posey, Attorney, Frost Law

“This ends up being a heart-breaking situation for the victim in many ways, personally and financially.”

— Zoha Sohail, Attorney, Frost Law

What’s next

The Frost Law team is available to help victims of scams with financial and tax implications navigate the complex issues.

The takeaway

These emerging tax season scams highlight the need for taxpayers and businesses to be vigilant, seek advice from reputable professionals, and report any suspicious activity to the proper authorities. Educating the public about these threats is crucial to protect people's finances and personal information.