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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 31, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: income tax ( 17 ), IRS ( 29 ), Scams ( 1,589 ), tax return ( 6 ), tax scam   

  Tax season means time to look out for tax scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  With most employers releasing W2 forms to their employees, it’s time for most of us to start thinking about our tax returns. This year’s deadline is April 18th which will be here before you know it. However, it’s not just the deadline you may have to worry about. There are con artists out there looking to take advantage of your tax return.

  The most common scam is one that takes place all year round, and it’s the IRS impersonation scam. Currently, the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about receiving phone calls from people claiming to be from the IRS. Typically, these scammers will tell their victims they’re behind in their taxes and demand an immediate payment. Other scammers will say that you’re owed a refund and will ask for your bank account information. In either case, the IRS generally does not call people over the hone. If there was an issue with your return, you would be contacted through the mail.

  Also, during tax season, a number of fly-by-night tax preparers will appear. If you intend to have a professional file your taxes, research that professional or company first. You should be wary of any tax preparer that intends to close up shop after the filing deadline. In case there is an audit, you’d want your tax preparer to be able to help you. Also, be wary of tax preparers who tie their fee to your tax refund. Fees are supposed to be based on how difficult it is to complete your tax return, not your refund.

  Lastly, and the most devastating of tax scams, is when a scammer tries to file a return in your name. This is the main reason why you should file your return as soon as possible. If a scammer did file a return in your name, you’ll receive a letter from the IRS stating they’ve received duplicate returns. If you do become a victim of this scam, contact the IRS right away. The longer you wait, the more difficult it could be to get your tax return.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 2, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer ( 16 ), locksmith scam ( 2 ), medical scams ( 21 ), monkeypox, Scams ( 1,589 ), tax scam   

  Scam Round Up: New virus scams and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Once again, we’re bringing our readers three stories about scams that can either be told quickly or are reminders of past scams.

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  We often don’t think about locksmiths until we’ve been locked out of our home or locked the keys in our cars. These instances can produce a panicked situation that scammers are more than willing to take advantage of. According to a warning from the Better Business Bureau of New England, scammers are impersonating legitimate locksmiths to lull victims into a false sense of security. Victims will be quoted a price before the locksmith scammer adds exorbitant fees once the service is done. Often the work will also be shoddy if you have the locks replaced by them.

  To avoid being scammed, avoid locksmiths who don’t use a company name when answering the phone. You can also ask to see an invoice and their identification before they start working. You may also want to research your local locksmiths before you have to choose one in a panic.

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  A couple in Ohio nearly lost their home after falling prey to some false county records that were mailed to their home. They received a letter that appeared to come from the county tax office that said there were problems with their property tax and needed to fill out and return some forms. The forms were sent to them by a scammer who was looking to steal their house out from under them by using the documents the couple signed to reassign ownership of the house to himself. The scammer even showed up at their house telling them to leave, saying it was his house now. Thankfully, after police got involved, the couple were able to straighten everything out with the county.

  If you receive anything in the mail about your property tax claiming there is an issue, call the tax office to verify if there is an actual issue before signing anything.

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  Even though monkeypox isn’t spreading nearly as fast as COVID-19 did, scammers are trying to take advantage of any potential fear of the new virus. It’s believed there will be monkeypox scams that are almost exact duplicates of COVID-19 scams. According to law enforcement in Virginia, residents there have been receiving emails that contain links to ‘mandatory safety awareness training’ for monkeypox. However, if you click on one of the links, you’re taken to a website that asks for your Microsoft login. This is not a Microsoft website and is only looking to steal your credentials.

  As always, when it comes to safety information about any outbreak, you should always check with your county’s health department for additional information.

  If you’d like to learn more about scams like this, you can review the COVID-19 scams that we’ve previously posted about.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on March 11, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: bank scam ( 80 ), identity protection PIN, IRS ( 29 ), money mules ( 5 ), police impersonation scam ( 88 ), police scam ( 40 ), Scams ( 1,589 ), tax scam, U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 8 )   

  Scam Round Up: Protect yourself from tax scammers and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week on the Scam Round Up, we’re bringing our readers a great tip, a new scam, and a reminder of an old scam.

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  One of the more prevalent tax related scams over the past few years has been scammers filing a tax return in your name, so they can claim your refund check. Previously, we’ve recommended filing your tax return as early as possible to beat the scammers, but that isn’t always possible. However, there is another way to prevent fraudulent returns being filed in your name. The IRS has an option where you can get an identity protection PIN. This is a six-digit number that only you and the IRS know. If this number is not included on your tax return, it will not be processed by the IRS. If you’d like to know more about the identity protection PIN or apply for one, you can find more information at the IRS website.

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  A Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina has recently uncovered a scam that could be affecting people nationwide. According to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, scammers are stealing money from bank accounts where the account holder may not notice the missing money. They give estate accounts as an example. The scammers will then send a check to an unsuspecting victim asking them to deposit the check, keep a portion of it, and wire the rest overseas. The Sheriff’s Office found a man who was just getting ready to wire close to $200,000 overseas. If you have an account like an estate account, you may want to check on it periodically to make sure there are no fraudulent transactions. Also, no matter how good the promise of money may be, never deposit a check from a stranger then wire the money somewhere else. Not only could this be a fraudulent check, but you could also potentially get in legal trouble for helping to facilitate the scam.

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  Lastly for today, the Border Patrol scam is making headlines again. This is where scammers will pose as agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Victims will receive a phone call that says Border Agents intercepted a box full of drugs and money that was supposedly being shipped to the victim. Other times, the scammers will say that a car rented in the victim’s name was found with drugs in it near the Southern Border. In either case, the scammers will threaten the victim with arrest if they don’t pay a fine. As with most modern scams, the scammers will ask for payment in non-traditional means like cryptocurrency or gift cards. Always keep in mind, no law enforcement agency will ever ask for money over the phone or threaten someone with arrest over the phone.

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  We hope you found this post informative, as nobody should ever have to endure the damaging schemes of scammers.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on March 2, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: impersonation scam ( 194 ), income tax ( 17 ), IRS ( 29 ), phone scam ( 50 ), Scams ( 1,589 ), tax scam, taxes ( 9 )   

  Here’s how to deal with tax scammers on the phone 

  

  By Greg Collier

  We’re just a month and a half away from the tax deadline this year. In 2022, there’s no courtesy extension due to the pandemic. U.S. tax returns are due on Monday, April 18th. As the deadline draws closer, scammers may see it as having their own deadline, the deadline to commit as many tax scams as possible. Not all tax scammers are after your refund check. Many of them are attempting to get your sensitive personal information instead. To accomplish this, they’ll imitate the one federal agency that everyone fears, the IRS.

  Many scammers will call their victims, posing as the Internal Revenue Service. If the scammer is attempting to get money from you, they’ll set out to get you to make a payment to them, typically in non-traditional means like gift cards or cryptocurrency. If the scammers are trying to steal your personal information, they may tell you the IRS owes you money, but they’ll ask you for personal information to verify your identity. What they’re actually attempting is to steal your identity.

  CNBC has a great article on how to help avoid these scams. According to CNBC, if anyone calls you claiming to be the IRS saying you owe them money, ask them for as many details about the supposed case as possible. While it’s not a guarantee the scammer won’t hang up at this point, it is said that it will stop the majority of scammers from pressing forward. You can also tell the caller you’re not comfortable giving personal information over the phone and would rather continue communication by mail.

  It’s always good to keep in mind the IRS does the majority of its official communication through the postal mail. The agency will only call you if you’ve already been in contact with them through the mail. They will not call you about a case that they just opened.