National Consumer Protection Week will take place March 5-11, and the IRS's Criminal Investigation division will use the occasion to raise awareness of various scams.

Led by the Federal Trade Commission, this public service campaign is designed to help people to understand their consumer rights and to avoid various frauds and scams to which many fall victim. To that end, the IRS posted a video that provides tips on protection from scams ranging from identity theft to tax fraud.

The video highlights some common fraud schemes, such as phishing scams in the form of unsolicited emails, phony charity organizations, “empty promises” of tax debt settlement for pennies on the dollar, illegitimate tax preparers (as taxpayers are ultimately responsible for their returns), and elder fraud by means of spoofing and phishing through social media.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” the video warned.

“Our investigators see myriad scams each year," said Jim Lee, chief of the Criminal Investigation division in a statement reported by Accounting Today. "These range from phishing attempts where unsuspecting individuals are prompted to share their personal information to fraudsters who prey on our elderly citizens' vulnerabilities. Offers that promise instant wealth or unrealistic tax exemptions are empty promises. Slam the next scam and report to law enforcement."