Scams are surging in the summer, the IRS says
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Summertime, and the scamming is surging.
That is according to the IRS, which issued a warning Friday for taxpayers to be wary of offers promising tax refunds or to "fix" tax problems. Many of these offers center on promises of a third round of economic impact payments. The IRS said it was receiving hundreds of complaints daily — and thousands since the July 4 holiday — at its phishing@irs.gov email account.
The economic impact payment scam includes an embedded URL that takes people to a phishing website to steal their personal information, the IRS said, adding that the third round of payments occurred over two years ago.
The scam, which has been around since 2021, has changed over time to trick people, the IRS said.
Remember: The IRS never initiates contact with taxpayers by email, text, or social media regarding a bill or tax refund.
"The IRS is seeing a wave of these summer scams relentlessly pounding taxpayers," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement. "People are being flooded with these email and text messages, but we want them to avoid getting swept up in these terrible scams. Taxpayers should be wary; remember, don't click on links from questionable sources."
The IRS also has received reports about emails urging people to "Claim your tax refund online" and text messages that the person's tax return was "banned" by the IRS. Spelling errors and awkward phrasing are one sign that these emails are a scam.
In addition to the economic impact payment scheme, the most recent wave of tax scams includes:
The misleading 'You may be eligible for the ERC' claim
The IRS has observed a significant increase in false employee retention credit (ERC) claims, an issue that made the IRS's annual "Dirty Dozen" list earlier this year. The ERC is a pandemic-related credit for which only certain employers qualify.
Taxpayers should avoid promoters who say they can quickly determine someone's eligibility without details and those who charge upfront fees or a fee based on a percentage of the ERC claimed, the IRS said.
The IRS advises eligible employers who need help claiming the ERC to work with a trusted tax professional. Details about eligibility, how to properly claim the credit, and how to report promoters are available at irs.gov/erc.
The 'claim your tax refund online' scheme
Because taxpayers are enticed by the idea that they have possibly overlooked money owed to them, identity thieves are upping their game with email and text schemes suggesting the recipient has missed out on a tax refund.
A variation hitting inboxes in recent weeks has a blue headline proclaiming that people should "Claim your tax refund online."
Again, there are telltale warning signs, including misspellings and language urging people to click a link for help to "claim tax refund."
The text scheme offering help to address a problem
In another recent scam, identity thieves send a text message with a name that tries to sound official, such as "govirs-accnnt2023." A variety of messages follow, saying that there is a problem with the recipient's tax return, but that the sender can fix the problem if the recipient clicks a link in the message.
As in other scams, there are many red flags in these text messages, including misspellings and factual inaccuracies.
The 'delivery service' scam at your door
The IRS is also warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for a new scam letter delivered in a cardboard envelope by a delivery service. The enclosed letter includes the IRS masthead and wording that the notice is "in relation to your unclaimed refund."
What to do
People who receive these scams by email should send the email to phishing@irs.gov.
People who become victims after clicking and entering their information should report the email at phishing@irs.gov and should file a complaint with Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and visit www.identitytheft.gov and www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central.
Credit for this article: Martha Waggoner with the Journal of Accounting
Frequently Asked Questions About Employment Practices Liability Insurance What is employment practices insurance? Employment practices insurance is another way people refer to Employment Practices Liability Insurance, or EPLI. It helps protect a business from certain claims tied to employment decisions and workplace treatment. These claims may involve wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to hire, or failure to promote. Employment practices insurance is not designed for physical injuries or property damage. It is designed for employment-related allegations. Do I need employment practices liability insurance? If your business has employees, former employees, or job applicants, Employment Practices Liability Insurance is worth considering. Small businesses often think they are too small to face an employment claim. But even small teams make hiring, pay, discipline, promotion, and termination decisions. Any of those decisions can lead to a dispute. EPLI may be especially important if your business is hiring quickly, adding managers, handling terminations, expanding into new states, or operating without HR support. What is the difference between E&O and EPLI? Errors and Omissions insurance, often called E&O, is different from Employment Practices Liability Insurance. E&O insurance generally helps protect a business from claims that it made a professional mistake. That may include poor advice, missed deadlines, or failure to deliver services as promised. EPLI focuses on workplace claims. It helps protect against certain allegations from employees, former employees, or job applicants. A simple way to separate them is this: E&O is about the professional work your business does for clients. EPLI is about how your business treats employees and applicants. What is the difference between EBL and EPLI? Employee Benefits Liability, or EBL, is different from Employment Practices Liability Insurance. EBL generally helps protect a business from certain mistakes in employee benefits administration. For example, it may apply if an employee was left off a benefits plan by mistake or given incorrect information about eligibility. EPLI focuses on broader workplace claims. These may include wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to hire, or failure to promote. A simple way to separate them is this: EBL is about benefits administration mistakes. EPLI is about employment-related claims and workplace treatment. Sources [1] Insurance Information Institute, "Employment Practices Liability Insurance." The III explains that EPLI protects businesses against claims that workers' legal rights as employees were violated. It also lists common claim types and notes that policies generally do not cover punitive damages or civil or criminal fines. https://www.iii.org/article/employment-practices-liability-insurance [2] Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "EEOC Highlights Record-Breaking Results in Agency Reports." The EEOC reported securing $660 million for 17,680 victims of employment discrimination in fiscal year 2025. https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-highlights-record-breaking-results-agency-reports [3] International Risk Management Institute, "Employment Practices Liability Insurance." IRMI identifies common EPLI claim types, including wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation. It also notes that EPLI policies contain shrinking limits provisions, meaning defense costs reduce the policy's available limits. https://www.irmi.com/term/insurance-definitions/employment-practices-liability-insurance [4] Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Best Practices for Employers and Human Resources/EEO Professionals." The EEOC outlines general best practices for preventing workplace discrimination, including training, neutral and objective criteria for employment decisions, and open communication. https://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/e-race/best-practices-employers-and-human-resourceseeo-professionals [5] Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Small Business Resource Center." The EEOC provides free guidance for small business owners on hiring, training, evaluating, disciplining, and terminating employees. https://www.eeoc.gov/employers/small-business [6] National Association of Insurance Commissioners, "Small Business Insurance." NAIC explains that small business insurance needs vary based on business factors such as employees, products, services, and operations. https://content.naic.org/consumer/small-business.htm [7] International Risk Management Institute, "Claims-Made Policy." IRMI explains that under a claims-made policy, coverage applies to claims first made during the policy period, and that EPLI is typically written on this basis. https://www.irmi.com/term/insurance-definitions/claims-made-policy
When to Consider Employment Practices Liability Insurance The best time to consider Employment Practices Liability Insurance is before a claim happens. Many owners wait until there is a problem. By then, a new policy may not help with an issue the business already knew about. A business should review EPLI when it: Hires its first employee Adds managers Grows quickly Terminates employees Creates an employee handbook Expands into another state Handles workplace complaints Has high turnover Operates without formal HR support The National Association of Insurance Commissioners notes that small business insurance needs vary based on the business, including employee count, products, services, and operations. That is a good reminder that insurance should grow with the company. [6] Employment Practices Liability Insurance is not just about today's team. It is also about where the business is headed. If the plan is to hire more people, open another location, or add supervisors, EPLI should be part of the planning conversation. Take the Next Step Before Your Next Hire Hiring is one of the biggest decisions a small business makes. It affects payroll, taxes, cash flow, workplace practices, and insurance all at once. Those pieces work better when they are reviewed together. That is why Steven Brewer & Company CPAs and Gild Insurance Agency work together. Brewer helps business owners understand the real cost of hiring, plan for payroll and taxes, and protect cash flow as the team grows. Gild helps owners understand which coverages belong in the conversation, from Employment Practices Liability Insurance to workers' compensation and general liability. Request a quote with Steven Brewer & Company to talk through the financial side of your next hire. Then take a few minutes for a free business insurance review through Gild Insurance and get a fast online quote. Two conversations. One stronger plan for growing your business.
Why Growth Increases Employment Risk A business with two employees may feel easy to manage. A business with ten employees needs more structure. A business with twenty employees needs even more consistency. Growth creates more decisions. More decisions create more chances for confusion, conflict, or claims. As a business grows, employment practices can lag behind. The company may add people before updating job descriptions. It may promote a team member into management before training them. It may handle performance issues differently from one employee to another. These gaps are common. They do not always mean the owner is careless. They often mean the business is busy. But employment claims often focus on process. For example: Was the rule applied the same way for everyone? Was the employee warned? Was the complaint reviewed? Was the hiring process fair? Was the manager trained? Was the decision documented? A clear process is easier to defend than memory. The Equal Employment Opportunty Commission advises employers to train managers and employees on equal employment opportunity laws, establish neutral and objective criteria for employment decisions, and monitor practices for consistency. It also recommends fostering open communication and early dispute resolution to keep small issues from becoming legal claims. [4] That is why Employment Practices Liability Insurance works best when it is paired with good workplace habits. Insurance helps protect the business financially. Documentation helps explain what happened. How Small Businesses Can Reduce EPLI Risk Employment Practices Liability Insurance is one layer of protection. Strong employment practices are another. Small businesses can reduce risk by making workplace decisions more consistent. This does not require a large HR department. It does require a simple system. Start with these steps: Use written job descriptions. Create a basic employee handbook. Document performance concerns. Use consistent interview questions. Keep hiring notes professional and job-related. Train managers on harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Respond to employee complaints promptly. Apply workplace policies consistently. Review termination decisions before acting. Keep payroll and worker classification practices current. These steps help create a better workplace. They also help the business if a claim appears later. The EEOC offers a Small Business Resource Center with free guidance on hiring, training, evaluating, disciplining, and terminating employees. The agency notes that small business owners often do not have legal or HR experts on staff, and the resources are designed to help fill that gap. [5] Owners should be especially careful with terminations. A termination may be valid, but it should still be documented. The business should be able to explain why the decision was made and show that similar situations were handled in a similar way. Good records do not remove all risk. They make the business more prepared.