February 21, 2007
Media Contact: Jenn Meale
Phone: (850) 245-0150
Attorney General McCollum Warns Consumers of Tax Time Scams
TALLAHASSEE, FL – As Floridians prepare to file their annual tax returns, Attorney General Bill McCollum today warned consumers about potential scams which are prevalent during tax season.
Among the most common of these is “phishing,” which occurs when individuals pose as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees and send consumers e-mails seeking personal information, allegedly for the purpose of processing refunds. E-mail headers generally appear official, with language such as “Refund Notice” or other innocuous subject lines. These communications seek to lure taxpayers into supplying names, social security numbers, credit card information and other personal identification information. The IRS does not send e-mails asking for personal information to process refunds. Consumers can visit the agency’s website at http://www.IRS.gov and click on “Where’s My Refund” to check on the status of their refunds.
Another scheme which often surfaces during tax season is an e-mail campaign from counterfeit charities seeking contributions. The simulated “charities” then claim the contributions will reduce the consumers’ tax liability. Social Security refund scams are also common, which are based on offers of social security tax refunds, even though no such refund exists. In this scheme, an offer is made to file the refund for a fee to the consumer of which a percentage of the anticipated refund is requested up front.
Attorney General McCollum offered the following recommendations to consumers in order for them to avoid falling prey to tax time scammers:
· Never give out personal identification information to anyone who is soliciting money. · Do not respond to e-mails asking for information relating to refunds. The IRS’s website is the legitimate source for checking on refund status.
· Do not give third parties money for income taxes on prizes. A legitimate prize distributor must send prize recipients the IRS form 1099 which states the value of the prize won and must be filed with a consumer’s tax return.
· Research charities before sending them money and do not respond to e-mail solicitations for money. The Better Business Bureau has a charity research page at http://www.bbb.org which helps identify legitimate charities.
· Do not let anyone purporting to be an agent for the IRS into your home unless he or she has proper identification.
Consumers who believe they may be victims of fraud may contact the Attorney General’s fraud hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226) or file a complaint online at http://myfloridalegal.com.