This week on The Perfect Scam.

They're going to have an envelope that says IRS Internal Revenue Service on the outside.

And that's how they communicate with you.

Think about it this way. When you call, you can barely get through.

Do you really think that they got people sitting around trying to call you?

Absolutely not.

Welcome back to The Perfect Scam.

I'm your host, Bob Sullivan.

April 15th, tax day.

Maybe the day signals relief for you, as in you finished your taxes.

But I bet mention of it stirs anxiety, even if you finished filing a long time ago.

And that anxiety, it's often a huge opportunity for criminals.

This year, the Federal Trade Commission has already issued a warning that there's been a huge surge in fake IRS calls to U.S. taxpayers.

Many believe artificial intelligence has supercharged this age-old scam. And there

are other changes in taxpaying that could open up new lines of attack for criminals. The federal

government is moving away from mailing out paper checks for tax refunds, for example. And AARP has

issued a watchdog alert that criminals might jump into the confusion

this could create. So the arrival of April 15th brings with it a lot to talk about, and

there's no one better to talk with than columnist Michelle Singletary. She's been delivering

consumer advice for more than three decades at the Washington Post. And by the end of

this episode, I think she will convince you that an index card with one word on it, taped to your

phone or your computer, might just be the best defense against scams. What is it? Keep listening.

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