Threat Intelligence Directory
Social Engineering
IRS Tax Scam Email
Attack Trigger
Fear of legal penalty + authority impersonation
What Attackers Want
$500–$5,000 via gift card or wire transfer
How This Attack Works
Scammers impersonate the IRS claiming you owe back taxes or have an unclaimed refund. The IRS never initiates contact by email.
Red Flags to Watch For
- ✗IRS never contacts via email
- ✗Demands immediate payment via gift cards or wire transfer
- ✗Threatens arrest or legal action
- ✗Asks for Social Security Number via email
Known Malicious Domains
These domains have been associated with this attack. Never click links going to these addresses.
- irs-tax-refund.comMALICIOUS
- irs-gov-refund.netMALICIOUS
- tax-refund-irs.comMALICIOUS
Glance automatically blocks emails from domains on this list. Domain list is not exhaustive — attackers register new domains continuously.
How Glance Stops This
- Domain similarity analysis catches lookalike sender addresses at millisecond speed
- SPF / DKIM / DMARC validation flags authentication failures before you ever see the email
- VirusTotal + Google Safe Browsing checks every link in real time
- Urgency language detection scores the email higher for manual review
- Known malicious domain blocklist updated continuously from live scan data
Don't wait to get hit.
Glance scans every incoming email against 12 detection layers — including the exact tactics described above — before it reaches your inbox.
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