s tax season draws information they can use to open
irresistibly closer, the credit card accounts and so on.
scam artists are polishing This is loosely known as phishing
their latest techniques. This for the purpose of identity
article should help you keep an theft.
eye out for these nasty
individuals. Phishing and identify theft can
occur through practically any
Tax Season – Time for Scams communication method. Here are
some recent scams that were
In a particularly cheeky move, successful:
scam artists have started posing
in on form or another as the IRS 1. One group of scam artists
in an effort to get you to turn started sending spam emails
over social security numbers and notifying taxpayers they were
such. Logically, this actually eligible for tax refunds. The
makes sense. Everyone is scam worked because the emails
terrified by the IRS and dread be were sent from IRS types of email
contacted by the Agency. Most of accounts including the irs
us would do anything to resolve letters in the address. Taxpayers
any issue raised by an IRS Agent were then told to go to click
including sending them copies of through to a site where they
credit card statements and could fill out a form and get
providing crucial financial their refund. Of course, the
information over the phone. Put email address and web site were
another way, this is the perfect fakes. Nobody got a refund, but
scenario for a scam artists. the scam artists received a bevy
of social security numbers,
The goal of scam artists, of credit card information and so
course, is to get private on. In total, this scam occurred
through 12 different web sites in
11 countries. If you receive mail
communications from the IRS, call
2. This one is a classic. Scam the agency to verify a letter was
artists send bogus IRS letters really sent to you. With phone
and Form W-8BEN asking call communications, get the
non-residents to provide personal persons name and call them back
information including bank at the IRS. Both methods will
account numbers, PINs, passport stop scam artists in their
numbers and so on. Form W-8BEN is tracks. Be skeptical of
used by banks, not the IRS, to communications you receive from
obtain information from sources you are not expecting.
non-residents who are opening
bank accounts! Unfortunately, Finally, the IRS never asks a
many non-residents fell for this taxpayer for passwords or PIN
scam and had their identities numbers. If the agency desires to
stolen. seize your bank account, they can
just do it. They don’t need to
There are a couple of guidelines take out $300 a day until your
you can use when dealing with IRS tax debt is collected!
communications. First, the IRS
never, ever sends email to Scam artists are highly creative
taxpayers. NEVER! If you get an people. If you have doubts about
email communication, it is an communication of the IRS, pick
absolutely a scam. Delete it or up the phone and call the agency.
send it to the IRS so they can
take action.
About the Author:
Richard A. Chapo is with http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com - recovery of business taxes through tax help and tax relief. Visit http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com/articles to read more business tax articles.
