Oregon Reports Rising Tax Refund Fraud as IRS and FBI Warn of Expanding Organized National Schemes
Amidst rampant tax refund fraud nationwide, the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) has prevented $1.995 billion in tax refund fraud in the state over the past five years.
Oregon Department of Revenue Intervention Stops $2 Billion in Tax Fraud
Of the $2 billion in intervention, $1.5 billion occurred during the three full years Governor Tina Kotek has been in office.
Source: Governor Kotek release on DOR fraud totals / remaining shares calculated from the cited five year and three year totals
Dailytidings.com
In 2024, partly as a result of the outsized kicker that year, the DOR’s Refund Protection unit prevented more than $1.4 billion in attempted fraud, including breaches of tax preparer data, tax-related identity theft, and intentionally false refund claims.
Tax fraud takes many forms, and constant vigilance is key to preventing it. Scammers sometimes pose as IRS or DOR employees to deceive taxpayers into sending money or sharing personal information. Texts, emails, calls, fake websites, and fraudulent mail are common tactics used by scammers.
Governor Kotek said, “Every dollar of fraud that DOR prevents is a dollar we can use to pay for schools, make Oregon healthier, keep our communities safe, and help meet our housing needs.”
The Governor emphasized that detecting, deterring, and preventing fraud protects Oregonians who play by the rules.
DOR’s Protecting Your Identity webpage has links to identity theft prevention resources and information about recognizing and reporting other types of tax fraud. Suspected tax fraud should be reported through Revenue Online.
This is how Oregon taxpayers can protect themselves from identity theft and data breaches:
- Never reply to or click links in suspicious messages.
- Do not download attachments.
- DOR communications should be made only through Revenue Online.
- When in doubt, contact DOR directly to verify the request.
| Tool or step | Official Oregon detail |
|---|---|
| Refund hold | State refunds are not issued until after February 15 so DOR can match return claims against W 2 and 1099 data. |
| Free direct filing | About 640,000 Oregon self preparers can use IRS Direct File plus Direct File Oregon. |
| Revenue Online | Taxpayers can verify payments, view letters, make payments, submit questions, and manage accounts securely. |
| Report identity theft | DOR says report it immediately through Revenue Online or by calling 503 947 2000. |
| Respond to letters | Taxpayers can use Revenue Online to respond to a letter and upload files without creating an account. |
Tax Fraud Scammers Operating At Industrial Scale
Like many other states, Oregon is tightening fraud filters after federal cases showed that refund fraud is now operating at an industrial scale.
Source: FBI IC3 tax identity theft alert and IRS Criminal Investigation case against Rafael Alvarez
Dailytidings.com
It’s not just through lone scammers- in one 2025 IRS Criminal Investigation case, a New York tax-prep chain was tied to tens of thousands of false returns and $145 million in tax losses.
In the Rafael Alvarez case, the IRS stated that the ATAX New York owner was sentenced after filing tens of thousands of false returns that resulted in $145 million in fraudulent tax losses.
This was just one case that illustrated how tax refund fraud is run on a large-scale, organized basis.
The FBI has also warned that criminals are stealing taxpayers’ identities to file false returns. Tax-return identity-theft complaints rose 26% in the past year, demonstrating the organized scale of the fraud.