AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) – The deadline to file taxes is Monday, April 18, so while many finance professionals are hard at work, so are scammers who try to make money off of people during tax season.
The Better Business Bureau Serving Western Virginia President Julie Wheeler said the main thing to remember is that the IRS is never going to call, email or text you as an initial contact. They will always contact you in writing.
Wheeler said sometimes scammers will say you need to give them banking information because you’re due a refund. Other times, they will say you owe money and are in legal trouble.
“With the IRS, it’s two different ways. It’s the carrot of ‘we owe you money, you’re due a refund, you need to do this,’ or it’s the hammer where, ‘we’re coming after you because you haven’t paid what you owe, we’re sending the police to arrest you,’” said Wheeler.
Wheeler said people who fall victim to these scams are often the elderly and young people.
“Scam artists are very, very slick and very convincing. If you know that and keep that in your mind, it may give you the ability to ignore what may sound like it’s legitimate,” she said.
Wheeler said scammers won’t usually ask for credit card or banking information because it’s too easy to shut down. Instead, they’ll ask for gift cards.
“Gift cards are like cash, so once you’ve given them those, there’s no way to get it back,” she said.
If you have any questions about scams or…
