The IRS has warned about a recent gift card scams, one of the many scams that people need to be aware of.
IRS GIft Card Scams
These scams follow many of the traits of a typical phone scam: someone calls you from a source that you wouldn’t question. They tell you that something bad has happened (in recent cases, your identity is stolen). Then, they get you to do something that gives them access to your income. In this case, they attempt to convince you that you need to buy different gift cards and give them the card numbers in order to prove that you are who you say you are.
If you think this sounds silly, remember that aware and alert people don’t fall to scammers, but anyone can fall to this type of scam when tired, scared about an actual IRS issue, or too nervous or hopeful from some other issue.
Avoid IRS Scams
If someone contacts you and asks for immediate payment, purchasing gift cards, giving your info, or some other time sensitive activity, remember these principles:
- Call Them – If you are dealing with financial or tax issues, you will get many calls from creditors, collectors, and so on. Look up the organization you are dealing with and call them on an official number. If they demand you do something now, thank them for the information and inform them you will call them back. Then, find the official customer service number and call them.
- Get it in writing – Official correspondence in the United States is in writing. If the IRS is dealing with you in an official manner, they will send you paperwork.
- If It’s too good (or bad) to be true, it’s not true – not to sound too pessimistic, but scammers always attempt to appeal to our hopes by giving us limited time offers to something that has the potential to completely change our lives. Demand double verification and time if something seems to be life changing, either good or bad.
What to Do if You are Contacted By Scammers
If you happen to be targeted by a scammer, you have several options to notify governmental enforcement:
- Report IRS scams at the IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting website or call 800-366-4484.
- Report phone scams to the Federal Trade Commission through the FTC Complaint Assistant
Don’t get scammed by fraudsters pretending to be with the IRS. If you are worried about IRS collections or other issues, come by our office for an appointment and we will discuss your tax needs.