Issue Number: IRS Special Edition Tax Tip 2016-05
Inside This Issue
Don’t be Fooled; IRS Scams Continue to Pose Serious Threat
The Internal Revenue Service has some advice for taxpayers this April
Fool’s Day that may prevent them from being the victim of a tax scam:
Don’t be fooled by scammers. Stay safe and be informed. Here are some of
the most recent IRS-related scams to be on the lookout for:
Telephone Scams. Aggressive and threatening phone calls
by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain an ongoing threat. The IRS
has seen a surge of these phone scams in recent years as scam artists
threaten taxpayers with police arrest, deportation, license revocation
and more. These con artists often demand payment of back taxes on a
prepaid debit card or by immediate wire transfer. Be alert to con
artists impersonating IRS agents and demanding payment.
Note that the IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone or call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
- 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 threaten to
bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you
arrested for not paying.
Scammers Change Tactics. The IRS is receiving new
reports of scammers calling under the guise of verifying tax return
information over the phone. The latest variation on this scam uses the
current tax filing season as a hook. Scam artists call saying they are
from the IRS and have received your tax return, and they just need to
verify a few details to process it. The scam tries to get you to give up
personal information such as a Social Security number or personal
financial information, such as bank numbers or credit cards.
Tax Refund Scam Artists Posing as TAP. In this new
email scam targeting taxpayers, people are receiving emails that appear
to come from the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, a volunteer board that advises
the IRS on issues affecting taxpayers. They try to trick you into
providing personal and financial information. Do not respond or click
the links in these emails. If you receive an email that appears to be
from TAP regarding your personal tax information, forward it to
phishing@irs.gov.
E-mail, Phishing and Malware Schemes. The IRS has seen an approximate 400 percent surge in
phishing and malware incidents so far in the 2016 tax season.
The emails are designed to trick taxpayers into thinking these are
official communications from the IRS or others in the tax industry,
including tax software companies. The phishing schemes can ask taxpayers
about a wide range of topics. Emails can seek information related to
refunds, filing status, confirming personal information, ordering
transcripts and verifying PIN information.
Variations of these scams can be seen via text messages, and the
communications are being reported in every section of the country.
When people click on these email links, they are taken to sites
designed to imitate an official-looking website, such as IRS.gov. The
sites ask for Social Security numbers and other personal information,
which could be used to help file false tax returns. The sites also may
carry malware, which can infect your computer and allow criminals to
access your files or track your keystrokes to gain information.
If you get a ‘phishing’ email, the IRS offers this advice:
- Don’t reply to the message.
- Don’t give out your personal or financial information.
- Forward the email to phishing@irs.gov. Then delete it.
- Don’t open any attachments or click on any links. They may have malicious code that will infect your computer.
More information on how to
report phishing or phone scams is available on IRS.gov.
Additional IRS Resources:
IRS YouTube Video:
Podcasts:
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