ir-2022-25, February 3, 2022
washington – As the new year begins, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers to protect their personal and financial information year-round and be on the lookout for its phishing scams, along with other schemes, who try to trick people out of their difficulties. money earned.
These schemes can include text message scams, email schemes, and phone scams. This tax season, the IRS is also warning people to be on the lookout for signs of potential unemployment fraud.
“With tax filing season underway, this is a prime time for identity thieves to hit people with realistic-looking emails and texts about their tax returns and refunds,” Chuck said. rettig, commissioner of the irs. “Being careful about these common scams can prevent people from becoming victims of identity theft and protect their sensitive personal information that can be used to file tax returns and steal refunds.”
the irs, state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry, working together on the security summit initiative, have taken numerous steps since 2015 to protect taxpayers, businesses and the tax system from thieves of identity. Summit partners continue to warn people to beware of common scams and schemes this tax season.
text message scams
last year, there was an increase in text messages impersonating the irs. these scams are sent to taxpayers’ smartphones and have references to covid-19 and/or “stimulus payments”. these messages often contain bogus links that claim to be their websites or other online tools. In addition to IRS Secure Access, the IRS does not use text messages to discuss personal tax matters, such as those related to bills or refunds. The IRS will also not message taxpayers through social media platforms.
if a taxpayer receives an unsolicited sms/text that appears to come from the irs or a program closely related to the irs, the taxpayer should take a screenshot of the text message and include it in an email to phishing@irs .gov with the following information:
- date/time/time zone they received the text
- phone number that received the text
irs reminds everyone not to click on links or open attachments in unsolicited, suspicious, or unexpected text messages, whether from the irs, state tax agencies, or other members of the tax community.
unemployment fraud
As a new tax season begins, the IRS is reminding workers to keep an eye out for unemployment claims or other benefit payments they never applied for. states have seen an increase in fraudulent unemployment claims filed by organized crime gangs using stolen identities. Criminals use these stolen identities to fraudulently collect benefits.
Because unemployment benefits are taxable income, states issue Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payments, to beneficiaries and the IRS to report the amount of taxable compensation received and any withholding. Any worker who receives a fraudulent or inaccurate Form 1099-g should report it to the issuing state agency and request a corrected Form 1099-g.
For details on how to report fraud to state labor agencies, how to obtain a corrected 1099-g form, how to find a list of state contacts, and other steps related to unemployment fraud, taxpayers can visit the usa website uu. Department of Labor dol.gov/fraud page.
People can be victims of unemployment identity theft if they received:
- mail from a government agency about an unemployment claim or payment that you did not file. this includes unexpected payments or debit cards and could be from any state.
- an irs 1099-g form reflecting unemployment benefits they did not expect or receive. Box 1 of this form may show unemployment benefits you did not receive or an amount that exceeds your records of benefits you did receive. the form itself may be from a state where you did not apply for benefits.
a notice from your employer indicating that the employer received a request for information about an unemployment claim.
email phishing scams
The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service.
If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited email that appears to be from the IRS or a program closely related to the IRS that is fraudulent, please report it by sending it as an attachment to phishing@irs.gov. The Phishing and Online Scam Reporting page on irs.gov provides complete details.
There are special circumstances when the IRS will call or come to a home or business. These visits include times when a taxpayer has a late tax bill, a late tax return, or a late payroll tax payment. The IRS may also visit if it needs to tour a business as part of a civil investigation (such as an audit or collection case) or during a criminal investigation. The IRS provides specific guidance on how to know it really is the IRS knocking on your door.
phone scams
The irs does not leave pre-recorded, urgent or threatening messages. In many variations of the phone scam, victims are told that if they don’t return the call, a warrant will be issued for their arrest. other verbal threats include intervention by law enforcement agencies, deportation, or license revocation.
Criminals can spoof or spoof caller ID numbers to appear to be anywhere in the country, even from an IRS office. this prevents taxpayers from verifying the true calling number. Scammers have also spoofed local sheriff’s offices, state departments of motor vehicles, federal agencies, and others to convince taxpayers the call is legitimate.
the irs (and its authorized private collection agencies) will never:
- Call to request immediate payment using a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer. The IRS does not use these methods for paying taxes.
- Threatening to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to arrest the taxpayer for not paying.
- require that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to dispute or appeal the amount owed.
- ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes tax. All tax payments should only be made in the US name. uu. treasury and checks should never be made out to third parties.
for anyone who doesn’t owe taxes and has no reason to think they do:
- do not give any information. hang up immediately.
- contact the inspector general of the treasury for the tax administration to report the call on the irs phishing scam report.
- report caller ID and /or the irs callback number by sending it to phishing@irs.gov (subject: irs phone scam).
- report it to the federal trade commission at ftc.gov. add “irs phone scam” in notes.
for anyone who owes or thinks they owe taxes:
- view tax account information online at irs.gov to see the actual amount due. taxpayers can also review their payment options.
- call the number on the billing notice or
- call irs at 800-829-1040. your employees can help.
help for identity theft victims
Unfortunately, scams and schemes can often lead to identity theft. While identity theft can have many consequences, the IRS focuses on tax-related identity theft.
Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses a person’s stolen social security number (ssn) to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund. Taxpayers may not be aware of this activity until they electronically file a tax return and discover that a return has already been filed using their SSN. Or, the IRS can send them a letter saying that she has identified a suspicious return using your ssn.
If a taxpayer learns that their SSN has been compromised, or knows or suspects that they are a victim of tax-related identity theft, the IRS recommends these additional steps:
- Individuals must respond immediately to any IRS notice; call the number provided.
- taxpayers should complete irs form 14039, pdf identity theft affidavit, if an electronic tax return is denied due to a duplicate filing with your insurance number or if the IRS directs them to do so. individuals can use a form to fill out on irs.gov, then print it and attach it to their paper return and mail it according to the instructions.
- Victims of tax-related identity theft should continue to pay their taxes and file their tax return, even if they must do so on paper.
- taxpayers who previously contacted the irs about tax-related identity theft and did not have a resolution should call for specialized assistance at 800-908-4490.
The official irs website is irs.gov. people should be aware of imitation websites that end in .com. This also applies to other IRS tools, such as Free File; they all end in .gov.
For more information, visit tax scams and consumer alerts on irs.gov. Additional information on tax scams is available on IRS social networking sites, including YouTube videos.
more information:
- taxpayer bill of rights