Your W-2s have arrived and you might have even started your tax return. With tax season here, it’s important for all of us to be on guard against tax-related scams.
A sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the county. Callers claim to be IRS employees, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They might know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.
Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer. Victims might be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Victims might be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information. If the phone isn’t answered, the scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request.
If you receive a call like this, hang up. Despite threats of arrest if you don’t provide the caller with personal information, the IRS will never dispatch Lexington County deputies to your home.
Other tax scams involve impersonating charities, identity theft and phishing. Please talk with family members, about these scams and how they work. As with any potential danger, education is almost always the best safeguard against becoming a victim.
For more information about tax fraud and scams, please visit www.irs.gov. We offer free fraud prevention classes to churches, businesses and civic groups. For more information, please call the Sheriff’s Department at 803-785-8230 or visit www.LexingtonSheriff.com.