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National Slam the Scam Day

We’ve got a lot of “Days” but have you heard of this one?  National Slam the Scam Day, which was designated to be “celebrated” tomorrow, March 9, 2023. 

So, what exactly is National Slam the Scam Day?  Well, it is a day that we are all encouraged to take a little more time to pay attention to recognizing Social Security-related scams and to stop scammers from stealing your personal information and, perhaps, even your money!

What can you do?

  • Pay close attention to emails and their attachments.  While they may look to be credible, scammers pretend to be from an organization or agency that may be familiar to you. 
  • Usually scammers will mention a problem or a prize, telling you that your Social Security Number was involved in a crime or they ask you to confirm your SSN. 
  • Scammers pressure you to act IMMEDIATELY by perhaps threatening you with arrest or legal action. 
  • You are told that you must pay using a gift card, prepaid debit card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer of money or mail cash.

You are faced with such an encounter, so what do you do?  First of all, report the contact to the Social Security Office of the Inspector General if the scammers are posing as representatives of Social Security.  You can find more information at www.ssa.gov/scam. 

Protect yourself and think twice about giving out your SSN or other personal information to a caller or in response to an email.  Ask for a number for you to call them back when you have the information available.  Chances are, the number you would be given is not a working number and will not be the same number that comes up on your caller ID.  If you get an email that looks suspicious, call the proper organization on a verified number and ask if they were sending out emails such as the one you received. 

Identity theft is too common and, unfortunately, we have to put forth the effort to protect our own identity and information.  Be cautious when giving out your information.  And, feel good about doing your part on National Slam the Scam Day.

SCAM SEASON, ‘ER, I MEAN TAX SEASON

We are in the first half of January and the scamming has already begun with scammers claiming to be from the IRS.  This is the prime time of the year when thieves posing as the IRS call people and threaten them by saying that taxes are owed. 

Please don’t fall for these scams.  Stay vigilant.  Remember that the IRS will never:

  • Call and demand immediate payment using a specific payment method.  You CANNOT pay any tax obligations using a gift card. 
  • Demand that payment be made without giving taxpayers the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
  • Call you unexpectedly about a refund.

Should you get a call like this, record the number and hang up immediately.  You can report the call by calling the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration number – 800-366-4484 or by using the IRS Impersonation Scam form found on the Hotline page of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. 

Don’t let your guard down and please impress upon any elderly loved ones that should they get such a call, the best thing is to hang up. 

Everyone Should Know the Facts About How the IRS Communicates With Taxpayers

Knowledge is a taxpayer’s first line of defense against scammers who pretend to be from the IRS with the goal of stealing personal information.

Here are some facts about how the IRS communicates with taxpayers:

  • The IRS doesn’t normally initiate contact with taxpayers by email. Do not reply to an email from someone who claims to be from the IRS because the IRS email address could be spoofed or fake. Emails from IRS employees will end in IRS.gov.
  • The agency does not send text messages or contact people through social media. Fraudsters will impersonate legitimate government agents and agencies on social media and try to initiate contact with taxpayers.
  • When the IRS needs to contact a taxpayer, the first contact is normally by letter delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Debt relief firms send unsolicited tax debt relief offers through the mail. Fraudsters will often claim they already notified the taxpayer by U.S. Mail.
  • Depending on the situation, IRS employees may first call or visit with a taxpayer. In some instances, the IRS sends a letter or written notice to a taxpayer in advance, but not always. Taxpayers can search IRS notices by visiting Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter. However, not all IRS notices are searchable on that site and just because someone references an IRS notice in email, phone call, text, or social media, does not mean the request is legitimate.
  • IRS revenue agents or tax compliance officers may call a taxpayer or tax professional after mailing a notice to confirm an appointment or to discuss items for a scheduled audit. The IRS encourages taxpayers to review, How to Know it’s Really the IRS Calling or Knocking on Your Door: Collection.
  • Private debt collectors can call taxpayers for the collection of certain outstanding inactive tax liabilities, but only after the taxpayer and their representative have received written notice. Private debt collection should not be confused with debt relief firms who will call, send lien notices via U.S. Mail, or email taxpayers with debt relief offers. Taxpayers should contact the IRS regarding filing back taxes properly.
  • IRS revenue officers and agents routinely make unannounced visits to a taxpayer’s home or place of business to discuss taxes owed, delinquent tax returns or a business falling behind on payroll tax deposits. IRS revenue officers will request payment of taxes owed by the taxpayer. However, taxpayers should remember that payment will never be requested to a source other than the U.S. Treasury.
  • When visited by someone from the IRS, the taxpayers should always ask for credentials. IRS representatives can always provide two forms of official credentials: a pocket commission and a Personal Identity Verification Credential.

Avoiding Scams When Donating After a Disaster

Hopefully, you were not impacted by the recent Hurricane Ian and are safe and sound.  But, there are thousands of individuals who may have lost their entire life’s accumulation.  And, being the kind-hearted person you are, you want to donate funds to help these unfortunate individuals. 

In the world we live in today, criminals take advantage of a disaster and solicit funds for fake charities.  Also, scammers sometimes pose as a federal agency to dupe disaster victims who are trying to get relief. 

If you want to help those less fortunate, don’t fall for solicitations received by phone, social media, email, or in person.  Make certain that your donation is going to a reputable organization – one that you initiated the donation.  And, when you do donate, remember to keep the receipt for the donation for income tax purposes. 

To check the status of a charity, use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool located here. If the charity isn’t listed in this database, it is not a qualified charity that you can claim a deduction on your income taxes for any donations made.

All donations should be made via check or credit card so that you have a record of the donation.  DO NOT make cash donations or donations via a service such as Western Union. 

You may think that a solicitation for a donation that is identified as a well-known charity, such as the American Red Cross, is legitimate.  But, just like an individual, organizational identities can also be stolen.  Rather than make a donation in response to a phone call, email or text, go directly to the charity to make your donation.  Look on the charity’s website for how to make a donation or initiate a phone call to make a donation; this ensures that your donation is going to the legitimate charity and not to some scam organization claiming to be that charity. 

If you are a disaster victim, beware as well.  Scammers can claim to be from a disaster relief program and obtain your personal information and then fraudulently use your information for their benefit.  The IRS provides disaster assistance by calling 866.562.5227.

Beware Of Texting Scams

We have all gotten those annoying emails that we know are scams and, hopefully, we have not taken the bait.  Also, many have received phone calls that are scams claiming to be the IRS, a law enforcement agency or even claiming they have a loved one captive and are holding them for ransom.  Recently, someone I know who is a grandfather received a call saying that his high school age granddaughter was being held ransom and he needed to send $500 immediately.  He called the granddaughter’s mother, who reassured him that the granddaughter was safe at home, but he couldn’t be convinced and felt it necessary to send the money.  So, yes, he was scammed out of concern for his granddaughter. 

But, now we are getting these nuisance messages via text and the IRS has warned that there has been a recent increase in IRS-themed texting scams which are aimed at stealing personal and financial information.  They look like they are coming from the IRS, but are not and if you receive one, you should report them to phishing@irs.gov.  The IRS has reported that hundreds of thousands of IRS-themed messages have been delivered in a matter of a few days.

Remember that the IRS will not contact you by email or text or phone, but by USPS.  They are working hard to stop these scams, but it is a difficult task and criminals are sly.  So, beware and don’t fall for scams received by text, email or phone.  Don’t give out your personal information unless you can validate who you are providing it to. 

Report any attempts to the IRS using the following process: 

  • Create a new email to phishing@irs.gov.
  • Copy the caller ID number (or email address).
  • Paste the number (or email address) into the email.
  • Press and hold the SMS/text message and select “copy”.
  • Paste the message into the email.
  • If possible, include the exact date, time, time zone and telephone number that received the message.
  • Send the email to phishing@irs.gov.

You can also report the message to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration using the IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting form, which can be found on irs.gov.  Also, all incidents should be reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. 

Think football – the best offense is a good defense!

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