U.S. Rep. David Schweikert said on April 11 that criminal enterprises are exploiting tax season, including through AI-driven scams designed to look legitimate, as the April 15 filing deadline arrives and fraud attempts intensify.
The warning comes amid a rise in sophisticated fraud targeting taxpayers, with new technology making scams harder to detect. The remarks, made on a post on X, aligned with a Joint Economic Committee alert issued days earlier addressing common fraud tactics targeting Americans during tax season. The post was intended to help inform constituents and the broader public about how to avoid suspicious outreach.
“Criminal enterprises are exploiting tax season, and that now includes AI-driven scams designed to look legitimate,” Schweikert said on X. “The IRS will not demand immediate payment, contact you on social media, or threaten law enforcement. If a call, text, email, or website looks suspicious, do not engage.”
The Internal Revenue Service identified AI-enabled impersonation by phone as one of the top entries on its Dirty Dozen list of tax scams for the current season. Criminals use spoofed caller ID and other tactics to make fraudulent communications appear legitimate. The IRS typically contacts taxpayers by mail first and does not demand immediate payment or threaten law enforcement action.
Government impersonation scams generated more than 17,000 complaints to the FBI in 2024, with losses exceeding $400 million, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The use of artificial intelligence has made these scams more convincing and more difficult for the average person to detect. The problem has continued to evolve into the current tax season, as reported by Forbes.
Schweikert is serving his eighth term representing Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He serves as chairman of the Joint Economic Committee and sits on the Ways and Means Committee. Schweikert previously served as treasurer of Maricopa County and as a member of the Arizona Legislature before entering Congress, according to his official biography.
