Posted on 02/14/2018 9:00:59 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
A tax scam aimed at stealing consumer refunds has ballooned, with the IRS reporting that the number of potential victims has soared from a few hundred to "several thousand in just days."
Uncovered in the first week of filing season, the con appears to have started in tax preparers' offices, where infected computers provided access to complete return data on thousands of consumers. The crooks are using the purloined data - including Social Security numbers, dependents data and even bank account information - to file refund claims on behalf of the victimized taxpayers.
The IRS does not know how many taxpayers will ultimately be affected. But in a sign of how seriously it's taking the scam, the agency on Tuesday issued a second notice to tax preparers urging them to notify the agency, the FBI, local police and their clients as soon as they discover a data breach.
"Speed is critical," the agency said in its advisory. "If reported quickly, the IRS can take steps to block fraudulent returns in a preparer's clients' names."
Because the refunds are going to the victimized taxpayers sometimes by direct deposit into their bank accounts the crooks then contact the victims by phone.
Posing as IRS agents or collection agents working for the IRS, the criminals demand that the refund money be returned. In one version of the scam, a live agent calls the taxpayer posing as a debt collector, who tells the taxpayers that the fraudulent refund money should be sent to the debt collection firm.
Alternatively, the taxpayer may receive a recorded call charging the taxpayer with fraud, threatening the victim with arrest and a "blacklisting" of their Social Security number. The recorded voice then tells the taxpayer to call a number for information on returning the refund.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Maybe instead of targeting GOP American Voters, they should target the people doing this....
Nah, that won’t happen.
I never get refunds, so I don’t have to worry.
It should be a simple matter to cross reference SSN’s with their computers!
If they can track conservative groups, they can definitely do something as simple as this....................unless it’s their people doing it................
Anyone?
for the IRS funding of terrorists?
for the IRS working with, and supporing the corrupt???
I haven’t had a refund in decades...................
A refund means you gave the government an interest-free loan.
You’re still at risk of someone trying to pay your tax bill on your behalf.
LOL, like that's a problem.
Yes, but I hate writing that damned check in mid April!....................It really hurts!...................
How do I get someone to pay for my taxes?
What is a tax refund?
I doubt he was ever baptized.
I owe the IRS 61 dollars this year. Can’t get much closer to perfect.
I owe my state $1.
The best & only way to prevent this kind of scam is to NEVER be getting a refund. I say this AGAIN: NEVER GET A REFUND ...
The law requires that you pay withholding or deposits that amount to 90% of your prior year’s tax burden.
However, IT DOES NOT require that you overpay & ‘get a refund’.
IF you owe a few dollars-—or even a couple of hundred, that is far preferable to having your ‘refund’ stolen from you.
They sure cannot steal any of your money if you still owe a small amount.
For those who keep insisting on overpaying ‘to get a refund’ and this is some sort of forced savings for yourself, then PLEASE re-do your W-4 & put the difference into an envelope at your residence or similar. Fighting to get identity theft out of your life isn’t worth a ‘refund’.
Been a bookkeeper/ accounting person for over 61 years. LISTEN TO ME !!!
You would think that sealed records were indicative of an intelligence agent with a phony identity—but of course that is just a coincidence... :-)
Stealing tax refunds should be a capitol offense.
Any INCOMING,financial related, call that you receive should always be suspect.
NEVER even talk to them,just hang up.
.
Some of us play with exemptions to make that loan as small as possible. . . and still not have to pay.
This year, the refund is most of a steak dinner at a local steakhouse for the family. . .
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