Watch Out for Fake IRS Letters Targeting Crypto Holders

The IRS Criminal Investigation division is warning taxpayers about a new scam involving counterfeit letters sent through the mail. These notices claim to be from the Department of the Treasury and pressure cryptocurrency holders to register their assets through a fraudulent Digital Asset Compliance Portal. The agency confirmed that this portal is fake and that it never uses QR codes in its official correspondence.

The scam letters are designed to look professional, using specific tax year ranges and official style branding. Once a victim scans the included QR code, they are taken to a website that mimics the real IRS domain. The site asks users to disclose which exchanges or wallets they use, their estimated holdings, and contact information. Scammers then follow up with phone calls to extract sensitive data like recovery phrases or to convince targets to send funds to attacker controlled wallets.

Criminals are targeting crypto holders because the IRS has previously sent out legitimate educational compliance letters. This makes the fake notices appear more believable to unsuspecting victims. Experts note that these phishing sites are often hosted on international networks known for previous banking scams.

The IRS is clear that it will never contact taxpayers via mail to ask for private keys or digital wallet passwords. If you receive a suspicious letter, verify the notice by logging directly into your account at the official IRS website. If you believe you have been targeted, report the incident to the IRS and the FTC immediately.