|
IRS Warns Taxpayers to Be Wary of E-Mail and Telephone Scams
By Barry N. Chait, Esquire
In IR-2008-11, the Internal Revenue Service has warned taxpayers to be leery of several current email and telephone scams that use the IRS name. The internet has been a major source for identity theft and scams to steal individuals of money. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service name is well recognized, and as such thieves are using that well known name to scam others of their funds.
The whole idea of the scan is to trick people to reveal personal and financial data, such as federal identification numbers and bank account information as well as credit card information. Once this information is in the hands of the scammer, the victim's bank accounts are usually emptied out and charges are usually run up on credit cards.
The IRS is warning taxpayers of two types of scams; one being a phone call from an individual identifying them as an IRS representative and saying that the taxpayer is entitled to a rebate. The targeted individual is then asked for their bank information, so that the money can be directly deposited into the account. The target is then told that without disclosure of this information, they are not entitled to a refund. As too many have discovered, once the thief has the bank account information, all the funds are withdrawn, leaving the account holder with a zero balance.
The other scam is in the form of an email and alerts the target that they are entitled to a tax refund and that they should click on the link in the email to access the refund claim. The individual is asked to enter personal information which the scammers then use to access bank accounts and credit card.
In addition, please be weary of any unsolicited contact from the Internal Revenue Service. If you have any concerns that you are being solicited illegally, please contact the Internal Revenue Service immediately. If you need more information or want to discuss this more, please contact Barry Chait, Esquire at 617-598-5314.
|
Full Newsletter
