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McAfee’s March 2024 survey found that 25% of its 2,500 U.S. adult respondents said they had lost money to an online tax scam. That is a serious survey result, but it is not a verified calculation that Americans collectively lost “millions of dollars.” McAfee’s later January 2026 survey found 23% of 3,008 U.S. adults had fallen victim and reported an average victim loss of $1,020. Because the surveys used different samples and the published releases do not establish identical questions, they should not be treated as a precise year-over-year trend.
What McAfee actually found
The headline claim comes from McAfee’s consumer research, not from government incident records or an independently audited national loss estimate. The March 21, 2024 release surveyed 2,500 adults in the United States and reported that one in four respondents said they had lost money to an online tax scam. McAfee’s 2024 release does not establish how many dollars all Americans lost.
The same release reported a much higher loss rate among a specific subgroup: 68% of respondents who clicked fraudulent links from supposed tax services said they lost money. Within that subgroup, 29% said they lost more than $2,500 and 17% more than $10,000. Those percentages apply only to people who clicked the fraudulent links, not to every survey participant.
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How the 2024 and 2026 figures differ
| Release | Sample | Reported result | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2024 | 2,500 U.S. adults | 25% said they had lost money to an online tax scam | Survey responses; not a verified nationwide dollar total |
| March 2024 subgroup | Respondents who clicked fraudulent links from supposed tax services | 68% said they lost money; 29% lost more than $2,500 and 17% more than $10,000 | Conditional percentages for link-clickers only |
| January 2026 survey, released March 3, 2026 | 3,008 U.S. adults age 18+ | 23% said they had fallen victim; average victim loss was $1,020 | Different survey wave; published material does not prove identical methodology |
| January 2026 confidence result | Same 2026 survey | 29% felt very confident they could recognize a tax scam | Self-reported confidence, not a test of detection accuracy |
The 2026 release also includes separate McAfee Labs observations based on product telemetry and threat intelligence. Those observations are not survey answers and should not be mixed with the consumer percentages. McAfee quotes Abhishek Karnik, its Head of Threat Research, saying, “What’s changed is how real these scams now feel, and how uncertain many people feel about spotting them.” See the full release at McAfee’s March 2026 announcement.
How online tax scams reach victims
Email and text messages
Fraudsters impersonate the IRS, tax-preparation companies or refund services. Messages may claim that an account must be verified, a refund is waiting, or a payment is overdue. McAfee’s 2024 respondents said fake tax messages asked for Social Security or tax identification numbers, birth dates, addresses, email addresses, e-filing PINs and account passwords. These are reported requests from survey participants, not a census of every scam message.
QR codes and fake websites
The IRS says current phishing and smishing campaigns can include QR codes that send taxpayers to imitation IRS pages. The pages may request personal information, payment or account credentials. Unsolicited links and attachments can also install malicious software. The IRS specifically advises taxpayers not to click unexpected links or open unexpected attachments.
Phone calls and spoofed caller ID
Scammers can falsify caller ID, use prerecorded or computer-generated voices, and demand immediate payment. IRS guidance says the agency generally contacts taxpayers by mail first. It does not make urgent threatening prerecorded calls, demand immediate payment by phone or threaten arrest for refusing to pay during a call.
Social-media direct messages
Impersonation is not limited to email. IRS warnings cover suspicious direct messages and texts that appear to come from the agency or a tax professional. A familiar logo, username or caller ID is not proof of identity.
Warning signs that a tax message is fraudulent
- An unexpected message asks you to click a link, scan a QR code or open an attachment.
- The sender demands immediate payment, threatens arrest or claims your refund will disappear unless you act now.
- A page requests your Social Security number, ITIN, e-filing PIN, password or bank details through a link in the message.
- The caller insists that you stay on the line or use a payment method that is difficult to reverse.
- The message contains a mismatched domain, unusual spelling or a link that does not lead to an official IRS.gov page.
The IRS’s 2026 Dirty Dozen guidance summarizes the rule plainly: “The IRS reminds taxpayers not to click links or open attachments from unexpected messages and to report suspicious IRS-related emails, DMs, and texts.” Read the IRS Dirty Dozen guidance.
What to do when a message may be a scam
- Stop interacting. Do not reply, click, scan, download, pay or provide information.
- Verify independently. Type IRS.gov into your browser yourself, or use the official telephone number published there. Do not use contact details supplied by the suspicious message or caller.
- Preserve evidence. Keep the message, sender address, phone number, URL and screenshots. Do not forward a malicious attachment.
- Report it through IRS instructions. Use the reporting directions on the IRS scam and identity-theft pages, including the Dirty Dozen guidance linked above.
- Secure exposed accounts. If you entered a password, change it from the legitimate site and enable multifactor authentication. If financial information was exposed, contact the institution using a trusted number.
- Address possible tax identity theft. Follow the IRS identity-theft guidance if someone may have used your SSN or ITIN to file a return.
Protect your tax identity before a scam occurs
An IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number that prevents another person from filing a federal tax return using your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. The IRS describes it as an optional proactive protection for eligible taxpayers. Details and enrollment instructions are available in the IRS tax-season guidance: When preparing to file taxes, keep an eye out for scams.
- Use a unique password for your IRS and tax-preparation accounts.
- Turn on multifactor authentication wherever the provider offers it.
- File through your tax software or preparer by opening the service directly, not through an unsolicited message.
- Check bank and credit-card activity during filing season.
- Discuss scam risks with older relatives and anyone who handles tax documents for you.
Why the headline needs a qualification
“Millions of dollars” may sound like a nationwide total, but McAfee’s 2024 release provides survey percentages and a study-specific average, not a verified aggregate loss for the U.S. population. The 2026 release is also a separate online survey. Survey results can show how frequently respondents report victimization and what losses they report; they cannot, without a defined weighting and loss-estimation method, establish the total dollars lost by all Americans.
The practical conclusion is still clear: tax scams cause substantial harm, and convincing impersonation makes link-clicking and independent verification critical. Treat an unexpected tax message as untrusted until you confirm it through IRS.gov or another independently obtained official contact channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does McAfee’s study prove that Americans lost millions of dollars in total?
No. McAfee reported survey percentages and study-specific loss figures. The reviewed releases do not calculate or verify a nationwide aggregate dollar total.
What is an IRS Identity Protection PIN?
It is a six-digit number that helps prevent someone else from filing a federal tax return using your SSN or ITIN. The IRS offers it as an optional proactive protection for eligible taxpayers.
Should I click an IRS link sent by text or email?
Do not click unexpected IRS links or open attachments. Go directly to IRS.gov and verify the issue using contact information published there.
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