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Don’t be scammed into paying Back Taxes

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It’s easy to scam someone who did something wrong by telling them they need to fix their mistake. This is why thousands of people get scammed into paying back taxes to the IRS—the IRS has nothing to do with these scams, of course, but the predators prey on peoples’ fear of Uncle Sam. It all begins with the fraudster making a phone call, pretending to be an IRS employee.

9DThey have other tricks up their sleeve too, such as making the caller ID show a number that appears to be coming from the IRS and identifying themselves with phony IRS badge numbers. They’ll even leave urgent messages if they get voicemail.

Preying on emotions, the crook gets vulnerable people to give up private information right then and there—enough information for the crook to commit some kind of identity theft crime. When many people hear “IRS,” they get scared. Scammers have ripped off millions of dollars as a result.

The IRS won’t give you a phone call if you’re delinquent in your tax payment. They’ll snail mail you an official notice instead. In fact, the IRS, despite its negative stereotype, won’t use scare tactics or threatening verbiage. Anyone on the phone who does this is pond scum; hang up immediately.

The IRS also won’t ever just up and e-mail you about back taxes. If you see “IRS” in a subject line, do not open it. Instead, forward it to phishing@irs.gov and delete it.

If you want to have a little fun with these thieves, then if you ever get a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, nonchalantly tell them that you yourself work for the IRS. See what happens.

A woman in Denver, Rachel Fitzsimmons, received calls from the “IRS” telling her they were filing a lawsuit against her. The message was a robotic-sounding female voice that left a call-back number. At first she was unnerved, but then after doing some research, recognized this as a scam. She called back the number, let the man talk a little with the threat, then told him she worked for the IRS (she doesn’t). He immediately hung up. Busted!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Tax Related Identity Theft Scams Up 300%

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Cases of stolen tax returns have surged over the past five years, leaving many identity theft victims struggling to recoup their lost refunds.

Approximately 155 million tax forms are filed annually. This provides identity thieves with an opportunity to come out of the woodwork and steal from Americans who are just trying to pay their taxes correctly.

A recent Scripps Howard News Service investigation analyzed more than 1.4 million ID theft records from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission from 2005 through early 2010.  In it they found that fraud complaints about stolen tax return-related identity theft jumped from 11,010 complaints in 2005 to 33,774 in 2009.  That’s nearly 300 percent.

Thieves may steal victims’ refunds, trick them into disclosing Social Security or credit card numbers, or even pose as the IRS. Below is more information for those common and lesser-known tax scams to watch out for.

Employment Identity Theft Scams: If you ever receive documentation in the mail indicating earned income that you are not aware of, it may mean that someone else has used your Social Security number to gain employment.

Account Takeover Scams: If, when filing your tax return, you receive a letter from the IRS saying that you have already filed, it it likely that someone else has filed a fraudulent return on your behalf, in order to steal your refund.

Tax Preparer Scams: In an old scam that’s still in play, tax preparers tell clients they must pay back stimulus payments, and then pocket the money. Ads are also placed by scammers posing as accountants to get your returns. Make sure you do research and choose your tax preparer wisely.

Late Payment Scam: As people fall behind on their taxes, lists are created and are printed in the local paper as public record. Thieves can use these lists to call unassuming people and pose as collectors.

Internet Phishing Scams: The IRS doesn’t send emails. Phony IRS emails that try to lure taxpayers into giving out personal information are a common scam. The messages are generally intended to convince recipients to provide personal or financial information that enables the perpetrators to commit credit card or bank fraud, or other forms of identity theft. Unless you are actively engaged in dialogue with an IRS agent, do not respond to emails or phone calls supposedly coming from the IRS.

IRS Scams: If a scammer posing as an IRS agent ever contacts you, they may already have some of your personal information, which they can use to try to convince you that they are actually from the IRS. This data could come from public records or even your trash. The scammer will often put pressure on you to comply with their request, or even offer you a tax refund.

Here are some suggestions to protect yourself and make sure that you get your return:

1. Protect yourself by filing early. It seems crazy to think that someone would fraudulently file taxes in your name, but it’s being done. Once they find a few W2s or other tax-related documents, they can file in your name and claim your refund before you’ve even begun the process. File before they do.

2. Secure your mail with a locking mailbox. Mail is stolen every day, and tax forms tend to include Social Security numbers, making them especially valuable to a thief. Don’t send out your tax return by sticking it in your home mailbox. Instead, take it to the post office or use a big blue post office drop box.

3. Protect your PC. Whether or not you file online, securing your PCs is essential. Make sure you have updated antivirus software, a two-way firewall, that you run spyware removal software regularly, and that your wireless Internet connection is protected with a network key.

If you are ever a victim of a scam involving the IRS, you may be disappointed by the way it is handled by government agencies. They simply don’t allocate the resources to fix this problem proactively, nor are they adept at responding once it has occurred. The biggest issue is the thief’s privacy. Even if you think you know who is responsible, neither the IRS nor any other government agency will release that information. All you can do is follow the IRS’s instructions for resolving the issue. Be patient, as rectifying it may take many hours, days, or weeks. If you subscribe to an identity theft protection service, a fraud resolution agent may be able to help.

McAfee Identity Protection includes proactive identity surveillance to monitor subscribers’ credit and personal information, as well as live access to fraud resolution agents. For additional tips, visit CounterIdentityTheft.com.

Robert Siciliano is a McAfee consultant and identity theft expert. See him explain how a person becomes an identity theft victim on CounterIdentityTheft.com (Disclosures)