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I don't think most people getting phone calls or letters from the IRS think any of them are real at this point.

A letter from the IRS is very likely to be real. Penalty for mail fraud is too high for scammers to even try.

Worth noting that the IRS will not call without having sent a letter first

And realistically, they send a letter. They then follow up with a certified letter. Then they may move on to other means.

New scams have been sending fake letters claiming to be from the irs.

I haven't seen the letters. Isn't that considered a federal crime since it's fraud via the US Postal Service?

The letters are carefully worded to not actually claim to be from the IRS.

They're 'offering IRS guidance' or from the 'department of taxation'

Isn't it fraud already a federal crime?

Federal? No. You defraud someone and it is state, local, or even civil.. unless circumstance (e.g. via mail) makes it a federal offense.

What about if you defraud somebody by pretending to be the IRS?

Probably a federal crime.

Whoa, that's a thing now? How prevalent is it?