WASHINGTON — As tax season approaches, the Internal Revenue Service, the
states and the tax industry reminded taxpayers to be on the lookout for an
array of evolving tax scams related to identity theft and refund fraud.
Every tax season, there is an increase in schemes that target innocent
taxpayers by email, by phone and on-line. The IRS and Security Summit partners
remind taxpayers and tax professionals to be on the lookout for these deceptive
schemes.
“Whether it's during the holidays or the approach of tax season, scam
artists look for ways to use tax agencies and the tax industry to trick and
confuse people,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “There are warning signs
to these scams people should watch out for, and simple steps to avoid being
duped into giving these criminals money, sensitive financial information or
access to computers."
This marks the fourth reminder to taxpayers during the “National Tax
Security Awareness Week.” This week, the IRS, the states and the tax community
are sending out a series of reminders to taxpayers and tax professionals as
part of the ongoing Security Summit effort.
Some of the most prevalent IRS impersonation scams include:
Requesting fake tax payments: The IRS has seen automated
calls where scammers leave urgent callback requests telling taxpayers to call
back to settle their “tax bill.” These fake calls generally claim to be the
last warning before legal action is taken. Taxpayers may also receive live calls
from IRS impersonators. They may demand payments on prepaid debit cards, iTunes
and other gift cards or wire transfer. The IRS reminds taxpayers that any
request to settle a tax bill using any of these payment methods is a clear
indication of a scam. (IR-2016-99)
Targeting students and parents and demanding payment for a fake
“Federal Student Tax”: Telephone scammers are targeting students and
parents demanding payments for fictitious taxes, such as the “Federal Student
Tax.” If the person does not comply, the scammer becomes aggressive and
threatens to report the student to the police to be arrested. (IR-2016-107)
Sending a fraudulent IRS bill for tax year 2015 related to the
Affordable Care Act: The IRS has received numerous reports around the
country of scammers sending a fraudulent version of CP2000 notices for tax year
2015. Generally, the scam involves an email or letter that includes the fake
CP2000. The fraudulent notice includes a payment request that taxpayers mail a
check made out to “I.R.S.” to the “Austin Processing Center” at a Post Office
Box address. (IR-2016-123)
Soliciting W-2 information from payroll and human resources
professionals: Payroll and human resources professionals should
be aware of phishing email schemes that pretend to be from company executives
and request personal information on employees. The email contains the actual
name of the company chief executive officer. In this scam, the “CEO” sends an
email to a company payroll office employee and requests a list of employees and
financial and personal information including Social Security numbers (SSN). (IR-2016-34)
Imitating software providers to trick tax professionals:
Tax professionals may receive emails pretending to be from tax software
companies. The email scheme requests the recipient download and install an
important software update via a link included in the e-mail. Upon completion,
tax professionals believe they have downloaded a software update when in fact
they have loaded a program designed to track the tax professional’s key
strokes, which is a common tactic used by cyber thieves to steal login
information, passwords and other sensitive data. (IR-2016-103)
“Verifying” tax return information over the phone: Scam
artists call saying they have your tax return, and they just need to verify a
few details to process your return. The scam tries to get you to give up
personal information such as a SSN or personal financial information, including
bank numbers or credit cards. (IR-2016-40)
Pretending to be from the tax preparation industry: 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. E-mails or text messages can seek information related to refunds,
filing status, confirming personal information, ordering transcripts and
verifying PIN information. (IR-2016-28)
If you receive an unexpected call, unsolicited email, letter or text message
from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here are some of the tell-tale signs
to help protect yourself.
The IRS Will Never:
- Call to demand immediate payment using a specific
payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer or
initiate contact by e-mail or text message. Generally, the IRS will first
mail you a bill if you owe any taxes.
- 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.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the
phone.
If you get a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS
and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
- Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
- Search the web for telephone numbers scammers leave in
your voicemail asking you to call back. Some of the phone numbers may be
published online and linked to criminal activity.
- Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS
Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page or call 800-366-4484.
- Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC
Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in
the notes.
- If you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS directly
at 800-829-1040.
If you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS
or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal
Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.
The IRS also provides a variety of resources for tax professionals about
security threats posed by identity theft issues targeting the industry through
its Protect
Your Clients; Protect Yourself campaign.
Additional IRS Resources
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