Tax Alert: Tax Scam Tips to Avoid Getting Screwed

April 3rd, 2012. By AbiK

With two weeks left to file taxes, everyone’s in a bit of a scramble to fill out those 1040’s or 1040EZ’s. And, don’t you know that tax scammers know it. So here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of a tax scam—after all, owing money to the IRS or going through an IRS audit is bad enough—but being a victim of identity theft due to a tax scam is potentially a lot worse.

Tax Scam Tip #1: The IRS Does Not Use Email or Social Media to Contact You.

If the IRS has a problem with you or your tax return, they’ll use the regular mail. So your mailman will be the bearer of those joyful greetings. The IRS will not send you an email. Therefore, if you receive an email from someone claiming to be the IRS, do not open it, do not open any attachments that may be on it, do not click on any links in it, and do not respond to it—it’s someone who’s phishing for your personal information. And keep in mind, the IRS website ends in “.gov”—not .net, .com, .org, .biz or any other domain extension—if you see those, be highly suspicious.

Likewise, while I’m sure there are some friendly folks working at the IRS, the IRS as a rule is not your friend and will not be sending you a message on Facebook or DM’ing you on Twitter.

If you receive either an email or a message on your social media channels from someone who claims to be the IRS, forward that information (you can send the email directly) to .

Tax Scam Tip #2: The IRS Does Not Request Your Personal Information by Phone (or Email).

Again, the IRS won’t ask you on-the-spot for things like your social security number or a password or a credit card or bank account number. So if you receive a phone call (or email for that matter) from someone claiming to be the IRS and they ask you to provide any of your personal information, just hang up. It is not the IRS calling.

Likewise, if someone calls, claiming to be the IRS, and they threaten you or try to intimidate you in order to get you to provide your social security number, bank account information or credit card numbers, hang up. No matter what you see in the movies or on t.v., the IRS doesn’t make phone calls to threaten anyone into giving them personal identification information.

Tax Scam Tip #3: Tax Prep is Not Free, and You Don’t have to Provide Money to Get a Refund.

Yes, you will have to pay to get your taxes prepared if you do not prepare them yourself. But if anyone tells you that you’re due a tax refund—but you’ll first have to repay the stimulus money you received last year—then you’re being scammed. You will never have to pay any money—other than for your tax preparer’s services–in order to receive a tax refund.

If you receive an email, phone call or other communication offering “free” tax preparation, delete it, hang up or toss it. Tax prep is not free. Additionally, no legitimate tax preparer can guarantee you a refund—you’ll get a refund if your tax return says you will. And a legitimate tax preparer will sign your return—in your presence—and provide you with a signed copy of your tax return.

As with any other business, when in doubt, you can always check out a business at the Better Business Bureau. And if you think you’ve been a victim of a tax scam, file a report with the IRS at the phishing email above, and if you’ve fallen for the scam without realizing it until later and think you’ve been a victim of identity theft, report it to the FTC.

Tags: Identity Theft, IRS, irs.gov, phishing, tax fraud, tax scam, taxes

This was posted on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 at 7:54 am and is filed under Emerging Issues, Internet/E-commerce . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.