HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – Tax day is less than two weeks away, and it’s this ‘crunch time’ of sorts where scammers pick up their intensity.
The top scam during this time of year in IRS impersonation scams, and Josh Planos of the Better Business Bureau says the scams are there all year long, but really start to be more noticeable in these final weeks before the filing deadline.
However, scammers do tip their hand by how they try to scam you.
”These typically originate from a phone call, and they’ll take two forms right off the bat,” Planos said. “The first is it’s an IRS agent and you owe back-taxes, and he pressures you to pay by pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The second is a scammer will claim their issuing tax refunds, and they’ll ask you for personal information so they can send you yours.”
Planos said it’s a dead giveaway that it’s a scammer if they first reach you by phone.
”Consider the contact method,” Planos said. “The first IRS contact with you will always be by mail. They do not inititate contact with taxpayers by e-mail, by text message or by social media to request personal or financial information, so if you get a phone call from the IRS, it’s nearly a guarantee that a scam is at play.”
What makes these scams effective is the number that usually pops up on your caller ID. It typically looks like a number from Washington, D.C., but Planos said it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
”These almost always originate…
