Tax Scams – Protecting Your Private Information
A number of tax scams exist with the goal of stealing your identity, stealing your money, or even filing fraudulent tax returns using your private information. Tax scammers work year-round, not just during tax season, and anyone could be a potential target. Stay alert to the ways criminals pose as the IRS to trick you out of your money or personal information.
IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scam
An aggressive and sophisticated telephone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. In this type of scam, callers fraudulently claim to be IRS employees. These con artists can sound very convincing using fake names, false IRS identification badge numbers, they may sound knowledgeable of the victim’s circumstances from information gathered through online resources, and usually they alter the caller ID (caller ID spoofing) to make it appear as though the IRS is calling. Victims are often told they owe money to the IRS and this “debt” must be paid promptly through either a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. Should a victim refuse to cooperate, the scammers use the threat of arrest, deportation, and even suspension of a business or driver’s license. Often times the caller may become hostile and insulting in order to lend an air of authority to their empty threats. Not as common, yet still one tactic scammers may use, involves telling victims they are owed a refund in an attempt to trick the victim into sharing private financial information.
Fraudulent IRS Emails — Phishing
The practice of tricking victims into revealing private personal and financial information through the use of fraudulent emails and/or over the internet is known as “phishing”. Oftentimes, scammers create official looking IRS electronic correspondence to fool their victims. These emails may include a web link that directs the victim to a website appearing as official as the email and many times will mimic the look and layout of the official IRS website. At this point, victims may see online forms which request personal and financial information, such as Social Security number, bank account information, or credit card numbers.
Fraudulent IRS Emails — Malware
This practice is, to an extent, a variation of the phishing email scam. Fraudsters will also attempt to trick the victim through the use of official looking IRS electronic correspondence. Emails may include links or files which the victim is meant to click or download, respectively. This act may trigger the download of a malicious piece of software which in turn could expose or compromise the computer or network. The goals of this scam may be to gather private and confidential information, track activity, access files, or take control of a network or system. While not isolated to businesses, this form of scam is a greater risk to businesses as internet security must be practiced by all in the organization and one “slip up” could compromise the entire network.
Ways to Protect Yourself
As the saying goes, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”. The best way to protect against the above scams, or others that may not yet be as widespread, is to remain aware of their existence, how they are perpetrated, how to protect against them, and how to minimize the likelihood of exposure. The following tips could help in protecting you and your information from prying eyes:
• The IRS will only initiate contact with a taxpayer by letter correspondence, sometimes called “snail mail”. Any contact by email, phone or text should be disregarded and deemed suspicious.
• There may be contact with a taxpayer using methods other than “snail mail”, however these will only take place after establishing a line of communication with the taxpayer.
• The IRS does not require a taxpayer to fill out online forms revealing personal information in order to either receive a refund or as part of an examination. If the IRS requires additional information, this will be requested, again, through a letter from the IRS.
• Information such as Social Security Numbers and/or EINs are in the IRS databases thus there is no need for a request. Anyone requesting this information can be viewed as suspicious.
• Personal information should not be provided over the phone, through the mail, or on the internet unless the taxpayer initiated the contact or is sure he or she knows with whom he or she is dealing.
• Financial information should be protected. Do not give out any financial information over the phone or via email.
• Protect personal computers by using firewalls and anti-spam/virus software, updating security patches and changing passwords for internet accounts.
• Do not click or download anything from email which purport to be from the IRS. If possible, do not open the emails.
• Report any instances of tax scams to the IRS.
• Suspicious emails should be reported and forwarded to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
If you feel you have been the victim of a tax scam, alert the IRS at IRS-Phishing or notify the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.