From our friends at Ladera Height Neighborhood Association:
IRS scam season is under way for taxpayers
Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, but now the IRS is receiving new reports of scammers calling under the guise of verifying tax return information over the phone. Scam artists call saying they have your tax return, and they just need to verify a few details to process your return. The scam tries to get you to give up personal information such as a Social Security number or personal financial information, such as bank numbers or credit cards. According to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, “These schemes continue to adapt and evolve in an attempt to catch people off guard just as they are preparing their tax returns. Don’t be fooled. The IRS won’t be calling you out of the blue asking you to verify your personal tax information or aggressively threatening you to make an immediate payment.” Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money or to verify your identity, here’s what you should do: n Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately. n Report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484, or report it to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on the website. Add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes. (Courtesy of FTC)
How to stop ‘robocall’ scams, disruptions
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Communications Commission are continuing to team up to combat illegal “robocalls” targeting veterans and their families. Each year, the FCC receives more than 200,000 complaints about unwanted calls. While this may seem like a big number, it pales in comparison to the millions of robocalls being made each day. The calls interrupt dinners and family time; they flood landline and mobile phones. Scam calls frequently solicit money for fake charities, including ones claiming to support America’s veterans — some even claiming to be VA representatives. VA officials offer the following tips to help avoid unwanted calls and scams:
Þ Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. Scammers may spoof their caller ID to display a fake number that appears to be local. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.
Þ Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, or passwords in response to unexpected or suspicious calls.
Þ Be sure to set a password for all voice mail accounts to avoid being hacked.
Þ Register your number on the Do Not Call List at https://www.donotcall.gov/, or call 888- 382-1222 from the phone you want to register, to block calls from legitimate telemarketers. Þ Ask your phone company about call-blocking tools and services for your landline phone, and check for helpful apps that you can download to your mobile phone.
For more information, visit fcc.gov/robocalls.
