We know tax season means scammers are hard at work – but we’re working harder. As part of our ongoing efforts to protect consumers from scams and fraud, Cash App and Square are joining forces with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), state tax agencies, and industry peers like with the formation of a new public-private alliance: Coalition Against Scam and Scheme Threats (CASST). Under the leadership of US IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, the Coalition will implement a multi-pronged strategy to curb scams ahead of the 2025 filing season, including technological improvements for early scam identification, enhancements to tax infrastructure systems, and consumer education initiatives.

In a press release issued by the IRS today, Commissioner Werfel shared the following: “Across the spectrum of the tax system, we’ve seen a rising tide of scams and schemes that try to exploit taxpayers and find gaps in government and industry defenses,” Werfel said. “This new collaborative approach will allow the private and public sectors to throw our combined weight against this threat. We will do more to work closely together, share information faster, respond quickly to threats and quickly alert the public to new and emerging threats. Our goal is to have a mass effect on this expanding problem that’s spread on social media and through bad actors.”

Cash App and Square will be represented in the Coalition by our Head of Tax Policy, Julie Magee – a veteran in tax policy and administration.

“With the proliferation of scams and illicit activity across the financial sector, now more than ever it is critical that industry and government unite in the fight to protect taxpayers across America,” Magee said. “On behalf of Cash App and Square, we’re proud to join the IRS’ Coalition Against Scam and Scheme Threats as we work to improve information sharing and improve our collective infrastructure.”

Want to learn more about how you can protect yourself against scams? Head over to our Outsmart Scams site and learn how you can identify illicit activity.