We’ve got a lot of “Days” but have you heard of this one? National Slam the Scam Day, which was designated to be “celebrated” tomorrow, March 9, 2023. So, what exactly is National Slam the Scam Day? Well, it is a day that we are all encouraged to take a little more time to pay […]
Knowledge is a taxpayer’s first line of defense against scammers who pretend to be from the IRS with the goal of stealing personal information. Here are some facts about how the IRS communicates with taxpayers:
(Straight from the IRS) Compiled annually, the Dirty Dozen lists a variety of common scams that taxpayers can encounter anytime. The IRS warns taxpayers, tax professionals and financial institutions to beware of these scams. This year’s list is divided into five groups. Here’s an overview of the top twelve tax scams of 2022. Potentially abusive […]
If you want to protect yourself from tax-related identity theft, you can opt into the IP PIN program offered by the IRS. Currently, there are over 5 million taxpayers participating in the program which enables them to be proactive in preventing identity theft. If you are interested in joining the movement to protect your identity […]
An IP PIN, you ask – what is it? Well, it is an Identity Protection PIN which prevents the filing of a tax return using your Social Security Number by someone other than you. These PINs have been around for several years but were issued only when someone had fraudulent activity on their account or […]
The Internal Revenue Service continues in its fight against cyber criminals and is constantly finding new ways that these criminals are obtaining information. There is no limit to the means in which crimes can occur. Whether through a telephone call, text message or email, the con artist tries to convince the recipient that they need […]
We seem to be inundated with information to the extent that we can be overwhelmed. What should we pay attention to? What isn’t relevant to our situation? Is the information being provided valid and authentic? So, what should we do? First of all, be cautious on the source of the information. Is it from a […]
I mentioned in a prior article that individuals would be able to participate in the identity protection PIN program. This PIN is a six-digit number assigned to eligible taxpayers to help prevent misuse of Social Security Numbers being used on fraudulent federal income tax returns. If you would like to take advantage of this program, […]
Fake Payments with Repayment Demands: Criminals are always finding new ways to trick taxpayers into believing their scam including putting a bogus refund into the taxpayer’s actual bank account. Here’s how the scam works: A con artist steals or obtains a taxpayer’s personal data including Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and […]
Scams targeting non-English speakers: IRS impersonators and other scammers also target groups with limited English proficiency. These scams are often threatening in nature. Some scams also target those potentially receiving an Economic Impact Payment and request personal or financial information from the taxpayer. Phone scams pose a major threat to people with limited access to […]
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