Last Year the IRS Issued a Consumer Fraud Alert About the Stimulus Refund Payments. Well it’s That Time Again—Watch Your Wallet Again This Year and Warn Your People: The Scammers Are Coming After You Again!
Please allow me to depart from my normal topic area and cover the new batch of scams that use Tax Refunds and Stimulus Bill Payments as their hook. The scammers are becoming so aggressive, bold and clever it’s possible for you and your staff to become victims even if you are working the cutting edge of the internet world. The problem from a business point of view is when your employees fall victims to these scams it takes their time and attention away from running your business.
It’s the Scamming Season
These type of scams seem to peak every year about this time. Last year, the IRS warned everyone to be on the alert for “e-mails and phone calls which claim to come from the IRS or other federal agencies involving tax refunds or economic stimulus payments.”
Last year’s IRS warning stated that, “These are almost certainly a scam whose purpose is to obtain personal and financial information – such as name, Social Security number, bank account and credit card or even PIN numbers – from taxpayers which can be used by the scammers to commit identity theft.”
I will add a warning to be aware of state and local governments contacting you for the same alleged purposes.
The new Stimulus Bill is about to become law.
There will undoubtedly be a new rush to use confusion and misinformation about the Stimulus Bill to dup both individuals and businesses into providing confidential information. In fact, I’ve already received several of these fraudulent emails. Here are two examples I received in my personal email in basket within the past four days.
FROM: senatehouse.6 SUBJECT: YOUR ENTITLEMENT/AWARD
PAYMENT URGENT!!
FROM: NOTICE@IRS.GOV
SUBJECT: Internal Revenue Service Tax Refund
Both of these have the appearance of legitimate emails, but both are scams. I recommend you not even open the email. Even if you do not respond with information, these emails probably contain a virus or spyware.
Warning-Real tax auditors do not send you an email notice you are being selected for an audit or ask you for confidential information, via email, as part of a “Desk Audit” process.
If you receive an email, without any previous verified contacts that you are selected for an audit, asking for information, it is a scam. Contact the authorities right away!
The first contact by any tax agency will be either by letter, sometimes by phone call, or literally a knock on your door, but never by email.
Scammers use faux IRS e-mails that often contain links or attachments to what appears to be a legitimate website, such as the IRS website or an online IRS refund application form. Never respond to these emails unless you initiated the contact or currently are communicating with someone you have independently verified is a bonafide government agent. Real government agents will be able to show you identification.
Some people are so rattled by a call from a government tax agency they will allow normal safeguards to fall away. Scammers know this and try to use it against you to steal information.
If you get a phone call from someone who is claiming to be a government employee and asking about your confidential information you should verify this person’s identity independent from the phone call. Politely ask for:
- call back information
- the physical office location where the person is assigned
- their title
- purpose for the call
- then hang up and independently contact the tax agency to verify this was a legitimate contact before providing any information.
I covered this topic in more detail last year. You can find that article on this link
Also the IRS has more information on consumer scams, see Suspicious e-Mails and Identity Theft.
Leave a Reply