Don’t Let Grinchy Scammers Steal the Joy From Holiday Gift-Giving

shaybachelder
3 days ago
2 min read

At Casler Financial, we want to help you protect what matters most—your finances, your peace of mind, and your holiday generosity. This time of year, many of us are buying gift cards for friends, family, teachers, and coworkers. Unfortunately, scammers know this too, and they ramp up their schemes during the holidays.

Gift card scams happen year-round, but December is prime time for fraudsters. Some even use hacked email accounts to send urgent-sounding messages that appear to come from people you trust—asking you to “grab a few gift cards” and send the numbers right away.

Since 2019, the IRS has received more than 1,000 reports of gift card phishing attempts. Most don’t even pretend to be from the IRS—but they all rely on catching you off guard.

Let me be very clear:

The IRS will never ask for or accept gift cards as payment. Ever.

If someone contacts you claiming otherwise, it’s a scam.

Common Holiday Gift Card Scams to Watch For

Scammers are constantly changing their tactics, but during the holidays, here are the schemes I see most often:

1. Government or IRS “Impersonation” Calls or Messages

These may come by phone, text, email, or even social media. The scammer insists you must immediately pay a tax penalty—or worse, that you’re linked to “criminal activity.”

2. High-Pressure Threats

Fraudsters may leave alarming voicemails demanding a callback. Once on the phone, they can be aggressive or harassing, insisting you must pay right away.

3. “Do This Quietly” Requests

Criminals often direct victims to buy gift cards at several different stores so employees won’t notice a suspiciously large purchase. Once you’ve purchased the cards, they tell you to read the numbers and PINs over the phone.

If someone pressures you to keep things secret, act fast, or bypass normal payment channels, that’s a massive red flag.

How to Know if It’s Really the IRS Calling

Here’s what the IRS won’t do—knowing this can help you shut a scam down instantly:

❌ They won’t demand immediate payment using gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or wire transfers.The IRS will always send a bill first.
❌ They won’t insist you pay without the chance to ask questions or appeal.Every taxpayer has rights.
❌ They won’t threaten to send the police, immigration officers, or law enforcement to arrest you.
❌ They won’t threaten your driver’s license, business licenses, or immigration status.

If you receive a demand that sounds anything like this, it is not the IRS.

What to Do If You’re Targeted

If you believe you’ve encountered a scam, reporting it helps protect others.

Here are the official reporting channels:

TIGTA (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration):Report IRS impersonation scams online or call 800-366-4484
Federal Trade Commission (FTC):Report general phone or gift card scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Email the IRS:Forward suspicious emails to phishing@irs.gov

If you’re ever unsure whether something is legitimate, please reach out. As your trusted tax advisor, I’m here to help you navigate situations like this safely and confidently.