Scammers are now taking a more polite approach in their efforts to steal personal and financial information. That’s according to the Internal Revenue Service. In the last few weeks, the IRS has been getting reports of a phone scam, in which callers pretend to verify tax return information.
Rather than threatening taxpayers and demanding immediate payment as most scammers do, these callers actually promise to give money to the recipient. Specifically, the scammers call saying they have your tax return, but they need to check a few details before it can be processed. By doing this, scammers hope to make taxpayers reveal their Social Security number, bank numbers, credit card numbers, or other information.
However, the IRS says it will never call unexpectedly and ask you to verify your personal tax information. IRS officials ask those who receive these calls to report them to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.
The IRS reminds taxpayers that if they know they don’t owe taxes, they have no reason to give their financial information to anyone. If you think you may owe taxes, you can call the IRS at 800-829-1040, so IRS workers can help you.
