With the 2016 tax season deadline quickly approaching, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is receiving calls from concerned citizens regarding two IRS scams trending in St. Mary’s County.
Scam #1 – Scammers are claiming to represent the IRS. They tell intended victims they owe taxes and must pay using an iTunes card, pre-paid debit card, money order, or a wire transfer. The callers threaten those who refuse to pay with being charged with a criminal violation, a grand jury indictment, immediate arrest, deportation or a loss of a business or driver’s license. The Sheriff’s Office warns the “threat” is an immediate sign scammers are calling, and you should hang up immediately.
Here’s what you need to know:
• Generally, the IRS contacts by mail – not by phone.
• The IRS will not ask for payment using a prepaid debit card, a money order or a wire transfer.
• The IRS will also not ask for a credit card number or your bank information over the phone.
What To Do?
• First, hang up! Do not engage with these callers; if you owe Federal taxes or think you might owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with your payment questions.
• If you do not owe taxes, fill out the “IRS Impersonation Scam” form on TIGTA’s website, www.tigta.gov or call TIGTA at 800-366-4484. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov. Add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments in your complaint.
Scam #2 – Scammers assume the identity of taxpayers by stealing their Social Security number. The scammer then creates a false W-2 form from a company and fills out a return showing a large refund. The scammer then has the refund direct deposited into a money card or other untraceable account. According to the IRS, this remains the most common scam.
Here’s what you need to know:
• You receive notification more than one tax return was filed using your SSN.
• You owe additional taxes, refund offset or have had collection action taken against you when you did not file.
• IRS indicates you received wages or other income from an employer for whom you did not work.
What To Do?
If you are a victim of identity theft, the FTC recommends these steps:
• File a complaint with the FTC at identitytheft.gov
• Contact one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit records: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion
• Contact your financial institutions, close any financial or credit accounts opened without your permission or tampered with by identity thieves.
• Respond immediately to any IRS notice; call the number provided
• Complete IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, if your filed return rejects because of a duplicate filing. Use a fillable form at IRS.gov, print, then attach the form to your return and mail according to instructions.
How to reduce your risk:
• Always use security software with firewall and anti-virus protections, along with strong passwords.
• Recognize and avoid phishing emails, threatening calls and texts from scammers.
• Do not click on links or download attachment from unknown or suspicious emails.
• Protect personal data. Don’t carry your Social Security Card and make sure your tax records are secure.
If you have any questions, concerns about a possible scam, contact the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office at 301-475-8008.
Reference:
(https://www.irs.gov/uac/taxpayer-guide-to-identity-theft)