A Message From Our CEO | Summit Credit Union

Fraudsters never stop trying to find ways to fool people and are constantly using new tricks and technology. They can do real harm to real people. Here’s what we’re watching this tax season and

Tax Season Phone Scams

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning of unexpected calls about owing back taxes. These bad actors create a sense of urgency and false alarm. The callers use official-sounding government names to gain trust and sway you with offers to look into or fix the situation. Instead, they want you to share personal information, like your Social Security number or bank account information.

What to do: Government agencies and legitimate companies don’t call out of blue asking for personal information. If you sense something isn’t right, hang up the phone. We Midwesterners are polite and don’t like to do this. Summit won’t be mad at you, don’t worry. And you might have just prevented a fraud attempt.

Email and Text Scams Getting More Sophisticated

Fraudsters often use current events and headlines to sound credible. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, there have been new scams claiming to be part of recent tariffs and tax cuts, tricking people that they have money coming to them if they just share their information.

Scammers are also using email and texts to pretend to be tax agencies. With AI‑generated graphics and polished messaging, these scams can look remarkably real. You might get a message about your tax refund being ready and all you need to do is verify your identity.

If only taxes were that simple! These messages are definitely scams.

What to do: Be cautious about clicking on links from unexpected emails or sharing information during an unsolicited phone call. These are ways for fraudsters to steal your information and possibly your tax refund.

If you've given out your information, you can report it and protect yourself.

Fewer Opportunities for Check Fraud

One thing scammers will be doing less of this tax season is check fraud. The IRS announced last year that they will no longer issue tax refunds by check – instead using electronic payments via direct deposit. This change increases protections against fraud – because scammers can’t steal a check if it doesn’t exist. So when filing tax returns this year, you’ll need your account information, including account number and nine-digit routing number.

Smart Ways to Safeguard Your Data and Money

Here are some additional safety tips for tax season:

File taxes early in the season. This could prevent a fraudulent filing and makes people less likely to fall for a tax scam later in the season.
Request an identity protection PIN from the IRS. This adds an extra layer of security.
Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) for your financial accounts, email and social media. This makes it harder for scammers to gain access to your accounts.
Report any scams to the FTC at .

Scams keep evolving, but so do the tools and systems that protect you. We have a team of experts at Summit who work to prevent fraud – and we're here to help if you’re unsure about anything.