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Dirty Tax Scams for 2017
Every year, the IRS issues its list of the worst tax scams: the “Dirty Dozen.”
We go through each one below to show you the red flags and how to best defend yourself against each scam.
Remember that you are legally responsible for what’s on your tax return, and if a con artist fools you, it’s you that’s likely to be stuck with the consequences.
1. Phishing
What is it? An email or website disguised as a trustworthy entity and designed to fool you into downloading malware or giving your information away.
IRS Phone Scam: Bad Guys Arrested
Earlier this month, hundreds of workers in Mumbai were investigated and dozens arrested for one of India’s largest scams. Targeting thousands of US citizens, the call center workers posed as IRS officials “in order to steal tens of millions of dollars, Indian police have said.” With a trained American accent, employees would trick American citizens into thinking they had defaulted on taxes and “were facing prosecution by the IRS.”
Phone Scam Onslaught At Record High
An “ever-increasing onslaught” of phone scams has authorities scrambling to track down persistent fraudsters.
These phone fraudsters primarily target elderly people, posing as everyone from stone-broke grandchildren, tax collectors or technical support. The calls come in the form of unwanted robocalls, telemarketing sales calls with recorded messages and often with masked caller identification used to trick their victims into thinking a legitimate entity is calling. According to the Wall Street Journal, complaints to the Federal Trade Commission about these calls have hit a record of 1.7 million in the first quarter of 2016, up 41% the previous year.
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