[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Senior Online Safety - IRSApril 15 has come and gone and for many, their tax returns have been filed, tax payments (sigh) or refunds have been received. Life is good!

That is unless  you are affected by either (or both) of the IRS scams which are prevalent this year in the United States.

 

False Tax Return Filed

Well, life is good for those whose returns actually processed. You see one of the fastest growing segments of identity theft involves filing a false tax return and claiming minimal wages, and requesting a refund of taxes paid – the system is processing billions of returns, the 1040EZ forms are processed and paid then audit.  Thus the IRS system is made to order for fraud, as the IRS follows the principle of PAY and CHASE.  This operational methodology sets up perfectly the second scam which is affecting taxpayers across the country. The IRS scam cost taxpayers more than $5 billion in fraudulent returns for tax year 2013 and have been very proactive during tax year 2014 filing season in attempting to thwart this specific fraud.

Senior Online Safety - IRS Fraud

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IRS Audit Scam

The audit scam comes in via a phone call, with the recorded caller sounding very authoritative in their manner. The robo-call claims to be from the IRS Investigations Department, directs the taxpayer to call a specific number (which is provided) and address the issue which the IRS has at hand prior to the IRS filing a lawsuit.  An action which will “red flag” the taxpayer forever.

The miscreants try and have you pay immediately via credit card or send a money transfer.

In the state of Indiana, over 600 Hoosiers have filed complaints with the Indiana State Attorney General.

What can you do about these IRS scams?

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_separator color=”black” align=”align_center”][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/0y5z0kWgBcM”][vc_separator color=”black” align=”align_center”][vc_column_text]The IRS advises that any one of these is a sign of a scam. The IRS does not:

  1. Call you to demand immediate payment. We will not call about taxes you owe without first mailing you a bill.
  2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the chance to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
  3. Require you to use a certain payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
  4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
  5. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement to have you arrested for not paying.
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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_separator color=”black” align=”align_center”][vc_column_text]Read how the IRS combats identity theft and tax refund fraud on many levels:  IRS PDF REPORT[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”black” align=”align_center”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_separator color=”black” align=”align_center”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIPVZOt8rHE”][vc_separator color=”black” align=”align_center”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOt7U23n5lc”][vc_separator color=”black” align=”align_center”][vc_column_text]

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