Tax-filing season officially opened on Jan. 24. With the opening of tax-filing season comes an increase in tax scams. The need for diligence is present throughout the year. During tax-filing season, it is even more important to be conscientious and diligent as identity-related information is being distributed and communicated at an increased level.
The approach of these con artists continues to change to try to capture sensitive data from those individuals who are not on top of their game.
Any contact from the IRS is ALWAYS initiated by a letter delivered through the US Postal Service. This letter will identify the tax year being discussed, discuss the issue and provide a phone number that YOU may call to discuss the issue with a representative of the IRS. The IRS NEVER initiates contact via phone calls, e-mails, texts or by coming to your home. Generally, any government agency will contact you through the US postal service, not by telephone.
Already in 2022, I personally have received several attempts to steal my personal data or that of my clients.
One of the most recent and newer scams is the Social Security scam. I received a phone call from an imposter Social Security representative. They claimed to be needing to contact me immediately because my Social Security number had been linked to criminal activity and suspended. The scammer then proceeded to ask me to confirm my Social Security number so that they could reactivate my number or issue me a new one for a fee.
My…
