Scam Alert: IRS Scam Targets Americans Waiting For Their Tax Returns
By jadeSaxworth
Tax season is upon us. And that means criminals are devising new ways to scam unsuspecting taxpayers out of their hard-earned money. And if you need to file taxes this year, like millions of other Americans, then you need to watch out for this old taxpayer scam with a new twist. It could leave you out of luck with an enormous debt to the IRS. That’s why the IRS is proactively warning people about this scam that could leave thieves rich and you out of luck.
The IRS issued a warning describing how scam artists are depositing fake tax refunds into taxpayers bank accounts while claiming the real money for themselves. The criminals use four main tactics to steal money from you and other taxpayers.
First, they hack taxpayer data and steal your vital information. Then they use it to file tax returns under your social security number. When they get a massive refund, it gets deposited into the taxpayer’s bank account. But then the scam artists call the taxpayer and tell them it was filed by mistake. They ask them to return it under penalty of the law. When taxpayers fall for this common scam, they write a check and send it to the thieves.
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But the IRS has warned that two new versions of this scam are happening during tax season this year.
First, criminals pretend to be debt collection agencies that are acting on behalf of the IRS. They pretend that the taxpayer was given a refund by mistake and that they must forward it to the debt collection agency immediately.
The second scam involves an automated call. Taxpayers answer the phone and hear a message claiming to be from the IRS that threatens the taxpayer with fraud charges and an arrest warrant. The automated message also claims that the taxpayer’s social security number will be “blacklisted.” The scam provides a fraudulent case number and a phone number to call to remedy the situation – which means they need to give thousands of dollars to the scam artist.
Protect yourself this year. The IRS has established procedures if they do accidentally provide a refund by mistake. They do not use an outside debt collection agency to do that dirty work. And the IRS has a mailing address where taxpayers send such mistaken funds. And interest may accrue on erroneous funds, so if that does happen, contact the IRS directly.
If someone is involved with such a scam, they should contact their bank or financial institution. If your bank account information has been obtained by a hacker, you may need to close your accounts to keep you safe from future attacks.
Additionally, if you’ve worked with a tax preparer, you should contact them if you think you’ve received mistaken funds. They should know what is going on and you can ask them for help. These experts should be able to identify if you’re being targeted for a scam or not.
Protect your identity this tax season. Be wary of anything that seems like a con.
Have you or someone you know ever been involved in an IRS scam?
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