Wallingford, CT – March 3, 2011 – Connecticut BBB is warning taxpayers to beware of several income tax scams. Their common thread is an emailed request for personal information that is supposedly used to “update records,” and their goal is identity theft. Every year at this time, scam artists use people’s fear of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to get victims to cooperate.
“Nobody wants their tax refund held up by incorrect information,” according to Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Scarpetti. “People who respond without thinking can end up victims of identity theft.”
In one variation, an email purportedly from the IRS tells you that you need to submit information for your W-2, a U.S. federal tax document filled out by employers. The email tells the recipient to click on a link to input the information. The link either takes the victims to an official-looking page to fill out private information, or downloads malicious spyware onto their computers.
In fact, W-2 forms are submitted by employers, not taxpayers and the IRS sends letters – not emails - when it needs more information. This is one of several IRS scams that make their rounds at this time of the year. Sometimes the email comes from the “Treasury Department,” stating a refund or tax inheritance is waiting and the taxpayer needs to provide personal information.
Do not click on any links in unknown emails or give out personal information, such as SSN, home address and birth date to anyone who emails or calls you. Another red flag is if the email has a lot of punctuation and spelling errors.
Not a scam – the IRS recently released a mobile app which allows users to check the status of their tax refunds. The app,
IRS2go, is available for free download to iPhones and Androids. Taxpayers are prompted to provide some basic information, including Social Security number, which the IRS says will be encrypted for security purposes. Users can then select the filing status of their tax return and enter the amount of money they expect to receive from the IRS.
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Founded in 1928, Connecticut BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. BBB offers objective advice and a wide range of education on topics affecting marketplace trust. BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses. Today, 128 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than three million local and national businesses and charities. For more advice on finding companies and businesses, start your search with trust at www.bbb.org.Howard Schwartz, Communications Director, 203-269-2700, hschwartz@ct.bbb.org
