# Signs of an IRS Tax Scam - Beware!



## SeaBreeze (Mar 22, 2018)

I was already called on the phone by one of these scammers, I let him say his peace, then told him off and hung up on him.  Luckily I had already heard about that scam, so I was curious to hear the spiel.



> *1. An email, phone call or text claiming to be the IRS.
> 
> *When  it comes to contacting taxpayers, the IRS will almost always use the  U.S. Postal Service first. Trevor Buxton, fraud awareness and  communications manager for PNC Bank, says he won't answer the phone if  his caller ID shows "IRS" because he knows the agency doesn't initiate  contact that way.
> 
> ...



 Full article HERE.


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## Cap'nSacto (Mar 23, 2018)

"A  newer IRS scam involves taxpayers receiving an unexpected direct  deposit from the Treasury Department...if you get a refund  you're not expecting, contact the IRS right away.  You can also contact  your financial institution to have the deposit  returned to the  government."

Um, I think I'd be spending that deposit.

I've gotten several of those calls where the scammer identifies himself as a Microsoft Customer Service Agent. What they do is tell you your computer is infected with a virus, and then promise to send you a security device for $300 worth of iTunes cards. 

I didn't fall or the scam, but I let the guy go through his stupid spiel - and I wondered afterward, Why iTunes cards, particularly? 

I mean, I suppose they call back to get the card numbers, but it just seems like a lot to hassle with at both ends.


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## terry123 (Mar 23, 2018)

I have got the IRS call and I said go for it and hung up.  Every now and then I get the computer call that I have a virus and I hang up.


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## OneEyedDiva (Mar 24, 2018)

Cap'nSacto said:


> "A  newer IRS scam involves taxpayers receiving an unexpected direct  deposit from the Treasury Department...if you get a refund  you're not expecting, contact the IRS right away.  You can also contact  your financial institution to have the deposit  returned to the  government."
> 
> Um, I think I'd be spending that deposit.
> 
> ...



One of the dumbest things I read was a college student who got bilked out of $3,000 because the scammers told her to pay the IRS with an iTunes card.  *Really?!! 
*Why would anyone think a government official would want to be paid with an iTunes card?! Good warning about the unexpected deposit..that's a new one on me. Must share. I've had a warning pop up on my computer (the old one) that said it had a virus. I did call, mostly out of curiosity and the man wanted "remote access" to my computer. *No way* was I falling for that one.


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## KingsX (Apr 16, 2018)

.

I recently received a letter from the IRS that said my SS number may have been stolen for employment purposes.
That was quite a shock.  My next thought... was the letter some type of scam?   But info on line proved it to be legit.
The letter said they had put an alert on my tax account... but I should put an alert on my credit reporting accounts.
I  was able to do that with the three credit reporting agencies over the phone.  It was super easy... probably because 
they have so much traffic since Experian was hacked and half of the SS numbers and other financial data was stolen.
I'm sure that is how my own SS number was stolen.

.


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## terry123 (Apr 17, 2018)

I had some strange calls last night. One from Microsoft saying my computer was now in their hands and that I needed to call a certain #. Then a few minutes later I got the IRS call.  A few weeks ago I got a check for $2300.00 and directions to deposit it and do a mystery shop for them and send them the balance with my personal check. I googled the company and of course it was a legit company but they do not pay for mystery shopping and it of course it was a scam. According to their website their company has had a lot of this going on. They provided a screen print of the letter and check and it was the exact one I got. They advised to report it to the police ad shred all of it. I did call the police department and they said this area had been flooded with the letters during that time. If you deposit the check it will come back bogus and you account will be debited for it.  Police said to shred which I did. I know somebody is not going to send me a check out of the blue!


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