Tax time… scam time!

Don't be another victim of scammers who are fishing for personal information. Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams 

Scammers use postal mail, phone, or email to deceive individuals, businesses, payroll and tax professionals, posing as tax collectors, and more 

The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information... and they won't call you over the phone either!

With the new tax season, the IRS reminds taxpayers to be aware that criminals continue to make aggressive calls posing as IRS agents in the hope of stealing money or personal information from taxpayers. 

Likewise, be very cautious about the information you provide to charitable institutions, as it can also be used as a strategy to trick you into revealing your personal information related to your taxes and be scammed.

This is the technique used by scammers.

People call claiming to be IRS employees, using fake IRS names and identification numbers. They may know a lot about their targets and typically alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Don't be fooled; the IRS won't call you.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and must pay promptly using a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The victim could be threatened with arrest, deportation, or suspension of their commercial or driver's license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and offensive or may tell victims that they have a pending refund to try to trick them into sharing private information. If they don't answer the phone, scammers often leave an "urgent" message requesting a call back.

And so, there are many others where they even take advantage of people with little command of the English language, with unfinished immigration processes, and so on. Stay alert and don't be fooled.

-Mariale, Your Tax Friend.

Link: https://www.irs.gov/