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How to protect your data from IRS scammers this tax season

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How to protect your data from IRS scammers this tax season

Scammers try to impersonate everything and everyone. They email you pretending to be your boss and ask for money, call you claiming your Microsoft account has been hacked or send phishing links for fake package deliveries. 

However, the most common type of impersonation scam occurs when bad actors pose as government agencies, especially the IRS.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is aware of this and has issued a new warning for 2025 about text messages impersonating the Internal Revenue Service. I will discuss everything you need to know to avoid this new tax scam and protect your personal information.

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A person working on their taxes (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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The new IRS scam alert

To understand the new IRS scam, let’s first examine what it’s based on. The IRS has been sending out COVID-19 stimulus payments worth up to $1,400 to around 1 million tax filers who missed them. Initially, these payments were self-claimed, but now the IRS is automatically issuing them to ensure eligible taxpayers get what they’re owed.

This provision, known as the Recovery Rebate Credit, allows people to claim missed stimulus payments from 2021. If you were eligible but didn’t receive the funds, you can still claim them by filing a tax return by April 15, 2025. Payments will be deposited directly using the banking information listed on the taxpayer’s 2023 return or sent as a paper check.

However, TIGTA is warning that scammers are targeting taxpayers with fraudulent text messages, as reported by TaxAct. These fake texts claim that recipients will receive an Economic Impact Payment from the IRS and often ask for sensitive personal information, like bank account details or your Social Security number. Scammers use this information to steal your identity or financial data.

The IRS has made it clear that eligible taxpayers who didn’t claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax return will receive their payments automatically; no action is required.

A woman working on her taxes (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Spotting phishing scams is more important than ever

Most phones and PCs today have enough protections to keep bad actors at bay, so in almost every case, the only way anyone can access your device and data is if you give it to them. Hackers often send phishing links that impersonate a government agency, someone you know or a trusted brand, tricking you into clicking. Once you do, malware is installed on your device to quietly collect useful data and send it to the hackers. That’s why the most important part of staying safe online is knowing how to distinguish between legitimate and scam messages emails or calls. For example, you can easily tell if a communication is from the IRS or a scam by focusing on the following key factors.

  • Type of communication: The IRS will never contact you via text for things like economic impact payments or financial information requests; they will send a letter or notice through mail or fax.
  • Suspicious links: Government websites always end in “.gov,” while scam texts may contain links ending in “.com” or “.net.”
  • Demands or threats: Be cautious of messages that create urgency or threats and look for any oddities or misspellings in the link as well.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Illustration of items used to prepare taxes (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

THE HIDDEN COSTS OF FREE APPS: YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

10 ways to stay safe from scammers impersonating government agencies

1. Install strong antivirus software: As scammers increasingly impersonate government agencies like the IRS through phishing links and fake messages, installing strong antivirus software is crucial to protect yourself from these threats. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Antivirus software can detect and block suspicious links, warn you about potentially harmful websites and prevent malware from being installed on your device. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

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2. Always verify the authenticity of unsolicited communications: If you receive an unexpected email, text or phone call claiming to be from a government agency, it’s essential to confirm its authenticity. Scammers often create a sense of urgency to trick you into taking immediate action. To verify, always use official contact details from government websites. Avoid clicking any links in the message and reach out to the agency directly to confirm whether the communication is legitimate.

3. Reach out directly if you’re unsure: When you’re unsure about the legitimacy of a message or request, contact the government agency directly using verified contact details. Never respond to the message or click on any links within it. By calling or visiting the agency’s official website, you can ensure you’re communicating with authorized representatives and avoid scammers impersonating government officials.

4. Use strong, unique passwords to protect your accounts: One of the best ways to protect your sensitive information from scammers is by using strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using easily guessable passwords like “password123” or “qwerty.” Instead, create complex passwords that include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. 

Also, consider using a password manager to keep track of your credentials and ensure you’re using different passwords for each account. Get more details about my best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 here.

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5. Monitor your tax account: Regularly check your IRS account at www.irs.gov to confirm the status of your tax return, verify that no unauthorized tax filings have occurred and update personal and contact information as needed.

6. Report suspicious tax-related activities immediately: If you suspect a scam or fraudulent activity, it’s crucial to report it to the relevant authorities right away. Whether you’ve received a suspicious message or believe your information has been compromised, reporting it helps prevent further harm. The IRS and other agencies have dedicated channels for reporting fraud, so take action as soon as you can to protect yourself and others from these schemes.

7. Invest in personal data removal services: Use a personal data removal service to remove your personal information from data broker and people-finder sites, which scammers often use to find phone numbers and email addresses. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

8. Use direct deposit for refunds: This is the safest way to receive your tax refund, reducing the risk of mail theft, forgery or fraudulent check cashing.

9. Be wary of spoofed websites: Type the address of your actual tax prep site rather than clicking on a link from an email or advertisement. Investigate the domain before entering any confidential information.

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10. Use an identity theft protection service: An identity theft protection service provides personal and financial monitoring and will try to help you if your identity is ever compromised. Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

THE TAXING TRUTH: A STATE-BY-STATE ANALYSIS OF TAX TIME TRICKERY 

Kurt’s key takeaway

Tax season is here, and with it comes an increase in scams impersonating the IRS and targeting taxpayers. The good news is these scams are often easy to spot. If you receive a text message from the IRS asking you to provide personal information, it’s a red flag; it’s not from them. Be especially cautious of any links included in the message. A legitimate URL will always end in “.gov.” However, scammers may try to trick you by altering the link slightly, so look closely for any misspellings or strange characters. If in doubt, always verify through official channels.

Do you think AI is making it easier for scammers to impersonate legitimate organizations like the IRS? Let us know by writing us aCyberguy.com/Contact.

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For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Alert: Malware steals bank cards and passwords from millions of devices.

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Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

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Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.

There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:

The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.

That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).

While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.

They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.

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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What you need to know about fake AI extensions

Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.

Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.

These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.

While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:

  • AI Assistant
  • Llama
  • Gemini AI Sidebar
  • AI Sidebar
  • ChatGPT Sidebar
  • Grok
  • Asking ChatGPT
  • ChatGBT
  • Chat Bot GPT
  • Grok Chatbot
  • Chat With Gemini
  • XAI
  • Google Gemini
  • Ask Gemini
  • AI Letter Generator
  • AI Message Generator
  • AI Translator
  • AI For Translation
  • AI Cover Letter Generator
  • AI Image Generator ChatGPT
  • Ai Wallpaper Generator
  • Ai Picture Generator
  • DeepSeek Download
  • AI Email Writer
  • Email Generator AI
  • DeepSeek Chat
  • ChatGPT Picture Generator
  • ChatGPT Translate
  • AI GPT
  • ChatGPT Translation
  • ChatGPT for Gmail

FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE

These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)

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How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works

These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.

Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.

In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.

The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.

Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.

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If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.

We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions

If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.

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1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions

On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.

2) Change your passwords

If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.

3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords

A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active

Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Use an identity theft protection service

Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

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6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated

Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.

7) Use a personal data removal service

Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.

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Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.

It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.

In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”

He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)

The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.

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Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”

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