(Radio Iowa) – Federal tax returns are due in less than two weeks and Iowans are being warned that scammers are stepping up their attempts to trick us. I-R-S spokesman Christopher Miller says criminals will be trying to send you convincing-looking tax-related messages. “The goal of the scammers is to get you to click on a link or an attachment,” Miller says, “so they can steal your personal information or download malware to steal your passwords, which can lead to identity theft.” With April 15th looming, Miller says people are anxious about their taxes — or their refunds.

“Crooks try to capitalize on that anxiety to lure people into their trap,” Miller says. “So we strongly advise that people not open any unsolicited email or text message that appears to be from the IRS or is connected to the IRS.” He says Iowans need to stay on the ball as crooks are working harder to rip you off as tax season comes to a close. “They’re steady throughout the year, but we tend to see an uptick in these scams during filing season, again, because people are waiting, potentially to hear from the IRS,” Miller says.

Any questions you have about your return can be answered online at I-R-S-dot-gov.