Are You Aware of the Recent Tax Scam?
Have you ever received an email from what seemed to be a legitimate company you have connections with who were able to provide you with private information that only that company would know? For instance, an email from your local bank arrives in your inbox and contains your full name as well as the type of account you hold. Generally, your first reaction is to open the email, read it, and proceed on as advised in the instructions, however, tax fraud lawyers in Alaska shed light on the fact that not all of these emails you may be receiving are in fact from the company they are posing to be, even if it appears from the IRS.
Although the tax filing deadline is right around the corner, that doesn’t mean individuals aren’t going to be proceeding with having their returns filed as many are granted extensions and others are simply filing late. And while having a federal tax return prepared continues, so does the tax scams and schemes that are going on behind closed doors that all seem to present themselves in a valid manner. IRS.org recently highlighted a recent scam that has been occurring and these criminals are leading others on to believe they work for the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), which is a “volunteer board that advises the IRS on systematic issues affecting taxpayers.”
Tax fraud attorneys in Alaska note that whenever you receive an email that leaves you feeling leery, it is better to not provide any information as many of these tax scams involve individuals who are trying to get ahold of any personal information you are willing to provide. What’s even scarier is that many individuals do in fact only provide a limited amount of access to their personal information and these scammers can still use that to steal their identity, or possibly even file a fraudulent tax return in their name.
The IRS has highlighted that the TAP scam presents itself in the following ways. A person receives an email that appears to be from TAP and pertains to a tax refund. Generally, an individual will be asked to provide personal and financial information that may indicate that they need this in order for their refund to find its way into their bank account. Tax fraud legal representatives in Alaska remind all of you taxpayers out there that criminals have managed to upgrade their scamming skills leaving the unsuspecting eye to believe it is all real, and unfortunately, those are the ones that fall victim to the scheme, having their information used against them.
While many other forms of schemes and scams are occurring, be sure you avoid providing any of your personal information through email or even over the telephone. Many of the agencies working with the IRS are never going to request a “taxpayer’s personal and financial information for credit cards.” Therefore, if you come across an email or receive a phone call pressuring you to provide this, Alaska tax lawyers urge you to refrain from providing any such information.
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