{"id":87612,"date":"2018-03-24T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2018-03-24T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=87612"},"modified":"2025-08-13T02:02:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T09:02:47","slug":"dont-get-duped-how-to-spot-2018s-top-tax-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/dont-get-duped-how-to-spot-2018s-top-tax-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Get Duped: How to Spot 2018\u2019s Top Tax Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It\u2019s the most vulnerable time of the year. Tax time is when cyber criminals pull out their best scams and manage to swindle consumers \u2014 smart consumers \u2014\u00a0out of millions of dollars.<\/p>\n

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), crooks are getting creative and putting new twists on old scams using email, phishing and malware, threatening phone calls, and various forms of identity theft to gain access to your hard earned tax refund.<\/p>\n

While some of these scams are harder to spot than others, almost all of them can be avoided by understanding the covert routes crooks take to access your family\u2019s data and financial accounts.<\/p>\n

According to the IRS, the con games around tax time regularly change. Here are just a few of the recent scams to be aware of:<\/p>\n

Erroneous refunds<\/h2>\n

According to the IRS, schemes are getting more sophisticated. By stealing client data from legitimate tax professionals or buying social security numbers on the black market, a criminal can file a fraudulent tax return. Once the IRS deposits the tax refund\u00a0into the taxpayer’s account, crooks then use various tactics (phone or email requests) to reclaim the refund from the taxpayer. Multiple versions of this sophisticated scam continue to evolve. If you see suspicious funds in your account or receive a refund check you know is not yours, alert your tax preparer, your bank, and the IRS. To return erroneous refunds, take these steps<\/a> outlined by the IRS.<\/p>\n

Phone scams<\/h2>\n

If someone calls you claiming to be from the IRS demanding a past due payment in the form of a wire \"\"transfer or money order, hang up. Imposters have been known to get aggressive and will even threaten to deport, arrest, or revoke your license if you do not pay the alleged outstanding tax bill.<\/p>\n

In a similar scam, thieves call potential victims posing as IRS representatives and tell potential victims that two certified letters were previously sent and returned as undeliverable. The callers then threaten to arrest if a payment the victim does not immediately pay through a prepaid debit card. The scammer also tells the victim that the purchase of the card is linked to the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) system.<\/p>\n

Note: The IRS will never initiate an official tax dispute via phone. If you receive such a call, hang up and report the call to the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.<\/p>\n

Robo calls<\/h2>\n

Baiting you with fear, scammers may also leave urgent \u201ccallback\u201d requests through prerecorded phone robot or robo calls, or through a phishing email. Bogus IRS robo often politely ask taxpayers to verify their identity over the phone. These robo calls will even alter caller ID numbers to make it look as if the IRS or another official agency is calling.<\/p>\n

Phishing schemes<\/h2>\n

Be on the lookout for emails with links to websites that ask for your personal information. According to the IRS, thieves now send very authentic-looking messages from credible-looking addresses. These emails coax victims into sharing sensitive information or contain links that contain malware that collects data.<\/p>\n

To protect yourself stay alert and be wary of any emails from financial groups or government agencies Don\u2019t share any information online, via email, phone or by text. Don\u2019t click on random links sent to you via email. Once that information is shared anywhere, a crook can steal your identity and use it in different scams.<\/p>\n

Human resource\/data breaches<\/h2>\n

In one particular scam crooks target human resource departments. In this scenario, a thief sends an email from a fake organization executive. The email is sent to an employee in the payroll or human resources departments, requesting a list of all employees and their Forms W-2. \u00a0This scam is sometimes referred to as business email compromise (BEC) or business email spoofing (BES).\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Using the collected data\u00a0criminals then attempt to file fraudulent tax returns to claim refunds. Or, they may sell the data on the Internet\u2019s black market sites to others who file fraudulent tax returns or use the names and Social Security Numbers to commit other identity theft related crimes.\u00a0While you can\u2019t personally avoid this scam, be sure to inquire about your firm\u2019s security practices and try to file your tax return early every year to beat any potentially false filing. Businesses\/payroll service providers should file a complaint with the FBI\u2019s\u00a0Internet Crime Complaint Center\u00a0(IC3)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As a reminder, the IRS will never:<\/strong><\/h2>\n