Entertainment
New Congressional scam alert issued for IRS fraud ahead of Tax Day
Tax Day is nearly here, and with it comes tax scams. The U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee has issued a scam alert, with less than a week to go until the tax filing deadline. The warning is, unfortunately, needed, given that nearly one in four Americans have reported being victimized by tax season scams, according to March 2026 research by McAfee.
The alert, seen by Mashable, has other alarming findings: During fiscal year 2025, the IRS reported more than 600 social media impersonators of the agency. Spam blocker app Nomorobo found a 400 percent increase in fraudulent calls claiming to be from the IRS between Jan. and Feb. this year. Fake tax websites are also on the rise, with McAfee identifying 43 new ones every day between Sept. 2025 and Feb. 2026.
“Criminal enterprises are exploiting tax season to target Americans, including seniors,” said Joint Economic Committee Chairman and Arizona Rep. David Schweikert in a press release shared with Mashable. Adults 70 years old and older lost more money to fraud than younger adults, according to the median of data collected by the Federal Trade Commission in 2024: $1,650 for seniors 80 and older and $1,000 for 70-79 year-olds, compared to $189-691 for younger groups.
Schweikert is issuing the alert, along with Ranking Member New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan, Vice Chairman Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, and Senior House Democrat Virginia Rep. Don Beyer.
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“As Americans file their taxes this month, scammers are deploying an onslaught of attacks — often enhanced by artificial intelligence — designed to steal people’s money,” Hassan stated in the release. “I encourage all taxpayers to review the tips in this bipartisan scams alert so that they can stay vigilant and protect their identities and accounts.”
Here are tips the Joint Economic Committee lays out to avoid common IRS impersonation scams:
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Be wary of phone calls, emails, or social media outreach. The IRS will never message you on social media! The agency will almost always initiate contact by mail, according to the committee.
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Watch out for urgent requests or threats. The IRS will never threaten to call law enforcement or request to see your driver’s license. On that note, the agency will never ask for payment via nontraditional methods such as gift cards.
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You can verify any communications with the IRS directly on the official IRS.gov website.
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You can share an IRS-issued identity protection PIN instead of your Social Security Number.
The committee also urges precaution when dealing with third-party tax services. Here are some tips for identifying non-IRS tax scams:
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Research firms by searching them on sites like the Better Business Bureau. If an offer seems too good to be true, it often is.
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Go to IRS.gov and verify the service’s Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). If the service doesn’t provide this, avoid it.
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Scammers may pretend to be legitimate third-party tax preparation companies or employees. Verify the provider by visiting the official website and calling the listed phone number.
If you believe you’re a victim of a tax scam, you can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Have a story to share about a scam or security breach that impacted you? Tell us about it. Email [email protected] with the subject line “Safety Net” or use this form. Someone from Mashable will get in touch.
Entertainment
Apple WWDC 2026 event: Live updates on iOS 27 and Siri AI
Every year, Apple hosts the Worldwide Developers Conference to reveal the latest updates to its operating systems (and occasionally drops some hardware surprises, too). And this year, Apple had a lot to cover.
WWDC 2026 is Tim Cook’s last big event as CEO, and the tech world has been waiting for a torch-passing moment to CEO-in-waiting John Ternus. We also learned all about iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, and a ton more Apple products, including the revamped AI version of Siri, during the opening keynote.
WWDC 2026 kicked off with a live “special event” at Apple Park at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, June 8. That keynote has now ended, but you can still watch the livestream and catch up on all the biggest announcements.
Keep checking back, as we’ll be updating this page repeatedly throughout WWDC 2026, which officially runs through Friday, June 12.
Entertainment
Get 1 year of VPN, antivirus, breach alerts, and Incogni for just $75
TL;DR: Surfshark One+ with Incogni combines VPN protection, antivirus, breach alerts, and automated personal-data removal for $74.99 (reg. $250.20).
$74.99
$250.20
Save $175.21
Most people understand the idea of protecting their devices online. Fewer people realize how much of their personal information is already floating around the internet long before a hacker or scammer ever gets involved.
That’s what Surfshark One+ with Incogni is trying to address. And one year is on sale for just for $74.99 (reg. $250.20).
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Instead of focusing only on VPN protection, the bundle tackles both sides of online privacy: protecting your devices in real time and reducing how much personal information is already circulating through data brokers and people-search databases.
The Surfshark side covers the familiar tools. You get a VPN for encrypted browsing across up to five devices, antivirus protection, private search, alternative identity tools for signups, and breach alerts that notify you if your email, passwords, IDs, or payment information show up somewhere sketchy.
Then there’s Incogni — the feature that makes this bundle feel more proactive than reactive.
Incogni automatically contacts more than 420 data brokers on your behalf and requests the removal of personal information like your name, address, phone number, and other identifying details. It also continues to monitor and re-request removals as your information reappears online.
On its own, Incogni normally costs about $95 per year, which makes its inclusion here especially notable.
This is an ideal opportunity for anyone increasingly uncomfortable with how exposed personal data has become online.
Mashable Deals
Get a 1-year subscription to Surfshark One+ with Incogni for a one-time payment of $74.99 (reg. $250.20).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to today’s Connections.
Entertainment
I track TV prices year-round, so I know that these 15+ TV deals ahead of Prime Day are actually worth it
Table of Contents
Best TV deals ahead of Prime Day
Prime Day season is one of the best times of year to buy a TV on sale. That’s been etched into our mental calendars in July for the past decade, but this year, hype for one of the year’s biggest shopping events starts in June: Prime Day 2026 will run from June 23 to 26. As always, worthwhile TV deals are already popping up in the weeks preceding the event.
The good pre-Prime Day TV deals aren’t just at Amazon. Half the time, the reason that TV deals during Prime Day go so hard is that competing retailers like Best Buy refuse to let Amazon get all the attention — and it has already started this year. If you don’t want to wait until the end of the month to grab your new TV, here are 15+ of the best TV deals I’ve found at Amazon and Best Buy ahead of Prime Day. Most models in this list match or beat their all-time record-low price, according to Amazon price tracker camelcamelcamel.
Best TV deal ahead of Prime Day overall
$1,197.99
at Amazon
$1,999.99
Save $802
Why we like it
Hisense finally launched its highly-awaited RGB TVs on June 2. While both the UR8 and UR9 RGB TVs are on sale at Best Buy, there’s another 2026 Hisense TV with a much wilder discount: The 75-inch Hisense U7 Mini LED TV is just $1,197.99 after a massive 40% price drop from its usual $1,999.99.
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Just released in March, the Hisense U7 series has a pretty incredible lighting system for its price range. Its backlight benefits from full-array local dimming, which uses clusters of tiny LED bulbs that can fully turn themselves on or off for more precise contrast during any scene or livestream. Other impressive numbers include a peak brightness of 3,000 nits (great news for FIFA fans trying to watch a game during the daytime) and a native 165Hz refresh rate (great news for gamers on a budget).
Deals on 43-inch TVs and under
Deals on 50-inch to 55-inch TVs
Deals on 65-inch TVs
Deals on 75-inch to 77-inch TVs
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Toshiba 75-inch C350 4K Fire TV — $379.99
$729.99(save $350) -
Hisense 75-inch QD7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $549.99
$799(save $249.01) -
LG 75-inch 75B QNED 4K TV — $729.99
$999.99(save $270) -
Hisense 75-inch U6 Pro Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $848.99
$1,399.99(save $249.01) -
TCL 75-inch QM8K Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99
$1,999.99(save $502) -
Hisense 75-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K Art TV — $1,597.99
$2,499.99(save $902) -
Hisense 75-inch UR8 RGB Mini LED 4K TV — $2,199.99
$2,499.99(save $300) -
LG 77-inch C5 OLED 4K TV — $2,199.99
$3,699.99(save $1,500)
Deals on 85-inch TVs
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