Security Tip Saturday

It's the first of the year, and that means that income tax season is upon us.  We'll be getting our W2's soon, and then the filing frenzy will be going on.  But I digress. 

In recent weeks, scammers have been hard at it by calling unsuspecting people and telling them that they are the IRS and that they owe money.  If someone calls saying he/she is an IRS agent and demands that you send money immediately, hang up; it's a phone scam. 

By altering their caller ID number to make it look like they're calling from an IRS office, these scammers often threaten vulnerable people like the elderly and new immigrants with things like arrest, deportation or the loss of their driver's license if they don't pay immediately for money purportedly owed.


Often leaving messages that say it's "urgent" you call them back, the scammers use common names and sometimes say they are from the IRS Criminal Division. They may even claim to know the last four digits of your Social Security number and send follow-up emails that appear to be from the IRS.  They often demand that payments be made by prepaid debit card. 

Once they make their threats, the scammers have been known to call back and again disguise their caller ID so it appears they are calling from the police department or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Or sometimes when they call, they may say you have a refund due and ask you to provide personal information so you can claim it. 

The real IRS will contact you by regular mail first, if it needs to contact you at all. Trust me on this one, having dealt with the IRS back in the late 90's when the 'Rents dissolved their cleaning business.  And the agency never demands immediate payment by phone or asks for credit card or debit numbers if they do call. And the IRS never asks for personal or financial information by email, text or social media. 

Please pass this on to your friends and family.  

Stay safe.