What to watch for this month, what to do about it, and the latest FBI warnings, in one place. Picked by our team and checked against the IRS, FBI and FTC.
Updated November 5, 2026
The schemes we're seeing aimed at accounting firms and their clients, in plain English, with what to do about each one.
Fake IRS messages are number one on the IRS's 2026 Dirty Dozen list of tax scams. The IRS generally contacts people by mail first. It does not demand immediate payment by phone, email or text, and it does not threaten arrest.
What to do
Don't click links, open attachments or reply. Forward suspicious IRS emails to phishing@irs.gov, then delete them.
Promoters are selling “Tribal,” “Native American” or “Sovereign Tribal” tax credits. The IRS says these credits do not exist under federal law. A return that claims one contains a false claim, and taxpayers can face civil and criminal penalties.
What to do
Be wary of credits sold for far less than their value, pressure to act quickly, or a request to sign a nondisclosure agreement before you get basic details. Talk to us or your tax advisor before buying any credit.
The FBI warns that scammers are using the 2026 midterm election: fake campaign and PAC donation pages, “investment pools” that promise a payout if a candidate wins, merchandise that never ships, and texts claiming you aren't registered to vote that link to fake sign-up pages.
What to do
Donate only through a campaign's official website. Campaign donations are not investments. Never use a voter-registration link from a text or email; go to your state's election website yourself.
A vendor, client or colleague “emails” new payment details or asks for an urgent wire transfer. This is business email compromise, one of the costliest internet crimes the FBI tracks, and the email often comes from a real, hacked account.
What to do
Confirm any change to payment details by phone, using a number you already have on file, never one from the email. If money has already moved, call your bank immediately.
Callers, emails and texts pose as government agencies, sometimes the FTC itself, and push you to pay a fine, fee or “protection” payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app.
What to do
Hang up and contact the agency at a number you look up yourself. No government agency asks for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency.
Attackers get past two-factor sign-in by sending repeated approval prompts until someone taps “Approve,” or by using fake sign-in pages that pass your code straight to them. Email and client portals are the usual targets.
What to do
Never approve a sign-in you didn't start, and only enter codes on a page you opened yourself. If prompts keep appearing, call us: someone may have your password.
Live from the FBI
The newest public service announcements from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. This list refreshes every 60 minutes.
Check It Yourself
The official sources we use. Each one opens on the agency's own site.
Short, plain-English warnings about new scams, posted several times a week.
Scams reported by the public. Search by type or ZIP code to see what's hitting your area.
FBI warnings on business email compromise, wire fraud and impersonation schemes.
Current IRS warnings about tax-related phishing, phone scams and fraud.
The IRS's yearly list of the most dangerous tax scams.
What a tax practice should do if client data is stolen, and who to tell.
If Something Got Through
Speed matters. If you clicked a link, typed a password, approved a sign-in or sent money, the sooner we know, the more we can contain.
Don't wait to see what happens. We can lock accounts, reset passwords and check for damage.
(508) 359-4476Or open a support ticketAsk them to stop or recall the payment. The first hours matter most, so call before you do anything else.
Reports help the agencies warn others and can help recover money. We can help you file.
