It’s that time of year-Tax Season. This is a time to be extra vigilant to protect your identity and money. Here are a few common scams making the rounds:
- Phishing Scam Targeting Education-This fraudulent email will go after college email addresses ending in .edu. The correspondence will request the recipient to click a link and submit a form to claim a refund. The fake form will request sensitive information such as date of birth, social security number, driver’s license, electronic filing PIN and more. This credential stealing activity can be very lucrative for the criminal.
- The W-2 Scam-Payroll and human resource departments need to assure they are following internal procedures if they receive requests for employee’s W-2s. A miscreant can spoof an email address to appear the request comes from a legitimate administrative source of the organization. The recipient of such a request should follow up with a call to the sender and report suspicious emails.
- The Direct Deposit Change Scam-Another trick in the threat actor’s bag is to request a change in direct deposit information. An organization should have policies in place to help protect these types of scams. The procedures should include completion of a form for this change and person-to-person contact.
- The Back Taxes Scam-This phone scam involves the crook calling the victim claiming to be an IRS agent. The imposter will tell the victim that they owe back taxes from a filing from past years. They will threaten to bring in law enforcement if payment is not made immediately
How do I know if it’s real?
First, the IRS will not email, text or call you. Any communication from the IRS will come in the form of a letter. The IRS is very detail oriented so the letter will have clear instructions of it’s intent and next steps. There will be some sort of verifiable number in the top or bottom right corner. If something doesn’t look right, it’s probably a fake. Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to verify.
Second, the IRS will not grant you gift money. Nor will it make demands for immediate payments of money you owe. The IRS does not give money away. The IRS will work with you on repayment options and forms of payments (NOT gift cards).
How to report it
Report phishing phone scams to phishing@irs.gov and use ‘IRS Phone Scam’ in the subject line. Include the phone number the scammer called from.
You can also fill out an online IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting Form or call 800-366-4484.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
IRS W-2 Scam
Resources:
Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts