U.S. Representative David Schweikert said on April 11 that criminal enterprises are exploiting tax season, including through ‘AI-driven scams designed to look legitimate.’ Schweikert highlighted the need to protect taxpayers as the April 15 filing deadline approaches and fraud attempts intensify through increasingly sophisticated technology.
The issue is significant as government impersonation scams have become more convincing and harder for the average person to detect, with artificial intelligence making fraudulent communications appear legitimate. These scams generated more than 17,000 complaints to the FBI in 2024, with losses exceeding $400 million, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center according to Schweikert’s social media post.
‘Criminal enterprises are exploiting tax season, and that now includes AI-driven scams designed to look legitimate. 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,’ Schweikert said.
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 according to the IRS.
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 according to his official biography. In recent elections, he defeated Amish Shah in 2024 with 51.9% of the vote and Jevin Hodge in 2022 with 50.4%.
