GEORGIA () – The IRS is warning Georgians of an uptick in tax scams ahead of the April 15th deadline.

Scammers may pressure you to share personal, financial, or employment information to steal your data or money, or trick you into bogus tax returns which are probably “too good to be true.”

The IRS says be wary of odd or misspelled web links that can take you to sites that look very similar to the IRS website but are in fact fraudulent sites.

THE I-R-S SAYS BE WARY OF ODD OR MISPELLED WEB LINKS THAT CAN TAKE YOU TO SITES THAT LOOK VERY SIMILAR TO THE I-R-S WEBSITE BUT ARE IN FACT FRAUDULENT SITES.

“The IRS is not going to text you or email you. If there is official activity it will come through the mail — stop , pick up the phone and go to a website and find the official number to communicate and don’t get scammed,” says Attorney General Chris Carr, Georgia (R).

Recent scams include a “big payday” where criminals say you are entitled to a large refund and make you pay a fee via social media or prepaid gift card.

RECENT SCAMS INCLUDE A “BIG PAYDAY” WHERE CRIMINALS SAY YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A LARGE REFUND AND MAKE YOU PAY A FEE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA OR PREPAID GIFT CARD.

“We are not going to text or call or show up at the door. It will be a letter from the federal or state government so let’s not turn a seasonal that is difficult into a bad one,” says Attorney General Carr.

Impersonators may also make urgent demands to pay up or face deportation or arrest.

“It is just getting more sophisticated with tax returns — what we don’t want to do is to give our bank account, or access to life savings because that can be devastating,” says Attorney General Carr.

Georgia’s Attorney General says to be wary of phishing scams via email or text.

“And now that there is a lot more going online we worry people are getting more texts, calls and unfortunately the criminals are getting smarter. The most important thing is to remember every Georgian is responsible for their transaction. They don’t need to click  on that text or answer that call — if you don’t know the name let it get to voicemail,” says Attorney General Carr.

Swindlers may also offer to help create your IRS account online which is fraudulent.

Other red flags include not to make tax payments via social media or pay using gift card or prepaid debit cards, and the IRS won’t threaten to call law enforcement or immigration or ask for your citizenship status or driver’s license.

The IRS says it will not leave pre-recorded voicemails or robocalls, and instead, check their website for specific questions regarding your taxes.