ORLANDO, Fla. – As the deadline for tax filing draws near, fraudsters are actively seeking your personal information.
That’s the alert from the Internal Revenue Service.
We’ve all received them: unexpected texts and emails that appear innocuous but are actually targeting your sensitive data.
Former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel spoke with News 6, highlighting that phishing and smishing scams are among this year’s top twelve threats.
“These are the twelve major tax scams you should be wary of,” Werfel explained to News 6. “Sadly, we observe an increase in tax-related scams year after year.”
If the communication arrives via email, it’s termed phishing.
If it’s through a text, it’s classified as smishing.
Werfel noted that sometimes scammers seek extensive personal information to fraudulently file tax returns and claim refunds that don’t belong to them.
At other times, they attempt to lure victims with urgent financial demands.
“Messages might say something like, ‘this is the IRS, you owe $4,500. Click here to settle or face even greater penalties,’” Werfel mentioned.
According to Werfel, the IRS never includes links in their communications.
That’s the first warning sign, and there are more.
The IRS will not reach out to you via email or social media to solicit personal or financial information, Werfel clarified.
“We aim to raise awareness among taxpayers regarding the kinds of tax scams to be cautious of,” Werfel added.
If you have fallen victim to a scam or fraud, please email me at lbolden@wkmg.com.
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