With less than three weeks to go until the filing deadline, income tax scammers are a growing concern.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement Monday that his office is receiving more calls and emails about people offering to help finish tax returns.
The scams can take several forms. One of them promises to provide tax refunds faster, when the refund may be a fraud. The real goal is identity theft.
Schmidt also warned about people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service and demanding payment on a tax debt. In some cases, the scammer might threaten to bring law officers to make an arrest.
“The real IRS will never threaten arrest over the phone,” Schmidt wrote. He advised people hang up on such calls.
A more complex scam involves people stealing Social Security or tax identification numbers along with checking account information. The scammer files a fake return, has a refund dropped by direct deposit and then claims the money needs to be repaid due to a mistake.
“Neither the Kansas Department of Revenue nor the IRS will demand that people use a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer,” Schmidt wrote.
Questions about state tax payments can be addressed by calling the KDOR Customer Service Center at 785-368-8222.
Unless you ask for an extension, the deadline to file federal and…
