Tax Scams Continue, Beware

Last week the IRS issued yet another warning that tax scams continue as this tax season draws to a close. In the March 14 IRS Newswire report, the IRS warned about a new scam tactic used by criminals to get sensitive, financial and personal information from unsuspecting victims.

Earlier this year we posted about tax scams involving fake charities and identity theft. We posted in 2015 about phishing scams, where con artists use fake emails or set up fake websites in an attempt to get your information. Similar scams continue and now may involve criminals pretending to be the IRS calling to verify details of your tax return. They pose as IRS workers and say they need to verify a few things before processing your return. Most unsuspecting taxpayers gladly “verify” whatever information is asked in order to speed up the process and make sure their return, and hopefully their refund, are processed without realizing they’re being scammed.

The scammers may ask you to “verify” things like your social security number, bank numbers or credit card information.

The IRS warns:

“These schemes continue to adapt and evolve in an attempt to catch people off guard just as they are preparing their tax returns,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Don’t be fooled. The IRS won’t be calling you out of the blue asking you to verify your personal tax information or aggressively threatening you to make an immediate payment.”

The IRS report also says that scams continue leaving “urgent” call back messages. They also have caller ID set up to look like they are calling from the Internal Revenue Service or other, official, government agencies.

Remember! The IRS will never:

• Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, or call about taxes owed without first having mailed you several bills.
• Call or email you to verify your identity by asking for personal and financial information.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or email.
• Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.