Fraudsters are exploiting the IRS’s authority in a mail-based scam aimed at cryptocurrency investors, using official-looking correspondence and fake websites to harvest personal and financial data, amidst a rise in digital asset fraud costing Americans billions.
Fraudsters are exploiting the authority of the Internal Revenue Service in a new mail-based scam aimed at crypto holders, according to the agency’s Criminal Investigation division. The letters appear official and direct recipients to create an account on a so-called “Digital Asset Compliance Portal”, which the IRS says does not exist.
The bogus letters include a QR code that leads to a lookalike website designed to harvest sensitive personal and financial details. Victims are asked for information about crypto exchange accounts and wallets, then contacted again by phone by scammers pretending to be legitimate representatives seeking passwords, two-factor authentication codes or private keys.
Jarod Koopman, head of IRS Criminal Investigation, said in a statement that criminals were continuing to exploit trust in government agencies by producing convincing fake websites and official-looking correspondence. The IRS urged anyone who receives a message referring to the non-existent portal to report it immediately.
The scam fits into a wider surge in cyber-enabled fraud. In an April 2026 report, the FBI said such crimes defrauded Americans of nearly $21 billion in 2025, with cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence-related complaints among the most costly. The Internet Crime Complaint Centre received more than 1 million complaints, while losses reported by victims over 60 rose to about $7.7 billion. Earlier FBI figures also showed that crypto-linked investment fraud accounted for more than $6.5 billion in losses in 2024, underlining how digital-asset scams continue to dominate the financial damage from online crime.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
