The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is continuing to warn taxpayers about what it deems its “Dirty Dozen” tax scams list for 2022, following up on its June 2 statement. Now, it is urging that you watch out for pandemic-related scams including theft of benefits and bogus social media posts, “a sad reminder that criminals still use the COVID-19 pandemic to steal people’s money and identity.”
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“Scammers continue using the pandemic as a device to scare or confuse potential victims into handing over their hard-earned money or personal information,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a new announcement June 6. “I urge everyone to be leery of suspicious calls, texts and emails promising benefits that don’t exist.”
The IRS said that these scams can take a variety of forms, including using unemployment information and fake job offers to steal money and information from people.
“Caution and awareness are our best lines of defense against these criminals,” Rettig added. “Everyone should verify information on a trusted government website, such as IRS.gov.”
COVID-19 pandemic-scams include Economic Impact Payment (EIP) and tax refund scams. The IRS said that identity thieves who try to use EIPs are a continuing threat to individuals. Some signs to be on the lookout for include “any text messages, random incoming…
