WEBEL LAW, PLLC
535 Fifth Avenue, Floor 4
New York, New York 10017
(646) 373-1055

IT'S IRS SCAM SEASON!

January 1, 2023

The first four months of the year is when most of us prepare our taxes for filing with the IRS, and scammers know it. If you receive a phone call or email claiming to be from the IRS, it’s a scam! Don’t fall for it. Scammers trick people into giving personal information that can be used to steal your identity, file a false tax return to claim your tax refund or take out a loan or credit card in your name. Remember, the IRS NEVER calls or emails. They only communicate via letters sent via the U.S. Postal Service. Be wary. Check the sender’s email address before clicking a link or volunteering information. Never assume that you need to act. Read the email with extreme scrutiny and patience. Clicking the hyperlink may download software that may potentially take over, lock, or damage your computer.

Furthermore, the IRS never takes payment via gift cards. Some scammers claim that a tax debt is due and that you will be arrested unless you pay by using Walmart, Amazon, or another popular gift card brand. If someone insists you purchase gift cards to pay or reimburse that person, don’t do it because you won’t get your money back.

Discuss these scams with your family and friends now, especially the young and the elderly. Don’t wait because your loved one may be the next victim to lose their money.

Cunning scammers use other organisations besides the IRS to manipulate victims by giving up sensitive data. Some claim to be employers who accidentally overpaid a new employee working remotely from home. More than one smart college student has been dumb enough to fall for this scam. Sometimes, we trust distrustful people.