February 2026
With tax season officially here, we’re seeing a rise in sophisticated scams specifically designed to catch the UC Berkeley community off guard. From AI-cloned voices to very convincing "urgent" emails about your W-2, scammers are working overtime to get a piece of your paycheck or refund.
Key Takeaways:
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Trust the Portal, Not the Link:
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The UC will never email or text you your W-2. If you get an "urgent" message asking you to click a link to view your tax forms, it’s a trap. Always navigate directly to UCPath ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu
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The IRS Won't Slide Into Your DMs:
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Real IRS agents won’t call, text, or message you on social media demanding immediate payment. If someone is threatening you with arrest or tax penalties over the phone, hang up and report it
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Let Your Password Manager Do the Heavy Lifting:
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This is a great time to start using a tool like LastPass. One of its best (and most underrated) features is that it won’t autofill your credentials if the website is a fake. If you land on a phishing site that looks like UCPath but the URL is slightly off, LastPass will stay quiet, giving you a crucial warning that something isn’t right.
For a deeper dive into the specific scams we're watching this year, check out the Security Reminders: Tax Season 2026