DON’T BE A VICTIM TO A TAX SCAM

Each year, people fall prey to tax scams. Stay safe and be informed – don’t become a victim.

If you get involved in illegal tax scams, you can lose money or face stiff penalties, interest, and even criminal prosecution. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be on the lookout for these scams:

Telephone Scams

Threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain an ongoing threat. The IRS has seen a surge of these phone scams in recent years as scam artists threaten taxpayers with police arrest, deportation, license revocation, and more. These con artists often demand payment of back taxes on a prepaid debit card or by immediate wire transfer. Be alert to con artists impersonating IRS agents and demanding payment.

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FTC Warns Small Business: Don’t Open Emails with This Subject Line

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new email scam targeting small businesses.

The FTC is warning small businesses not to open emails with the subject line “Pending consumer complaint” claiming to be from the government agency. The email falsely states that a complaint has been filed with the FTC.

The FTC does not contact anyone via email.

A Current Scam

In Long Island, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) is taking over the management of Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) for the next 10 years.

So, when I recently saw an email that looked like it was pertinent to the takeover I decided to read it. Then I noticed that it was coming from PGE and they were telling me what my bill was and asking me to check a link. That looked wrong and I decided to delete the email.

IRS Warns of Phone Scam

The IRS is warning the public about a phone scam that targets people across the nation, including recent immigrants. Callers claiming to be from the IRS tell intended victims they owe taxes and must pay using a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The scammers threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver’s license.

The callers who commit this fraud often:

• Know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number
• Use common names and fake IRS badge numbers
• Make caller ID appear as if the IRS is calling
• Send bogus IRS emails to support their scam
• Call a second time claiming to be the police or DMV, and caller ID again supports their claim