IRS scam alert taxpayers refunds
The IRS warns taxpayers of a new twist on an old scam. Criminals fraudulent tax refunds deposited on actual bank accounts of individuals, and then try to claim reimbursement from taxpayers.
These are the basic steps that follow criminals to carry out this scam. The thief:
- It infiltrates computers tax preparers to steal data from taxpayers.
- Use the stolen information to file tax returns on behalf of taxpayers.
- It achieves that refunds deposited into bank accounts of taxpayers.
- It communicates with its victims, telling them that the money was deposited by mistake and must return it .
While the IRS is aware of variations of this scam, the agency also knows that this scam may continue to evolve. Here are two current versions of this scam:
- Criminals posing as officials of the debt collection agency on behalf of the IRS. The thief contacts the taxpayer to inform you of an erroneous deposit refund and requests the taxpayer to send money to the collection agency thief.
- The taxpayer who received the erroneous refund get an automated call with a recorded voice saying that the caller is the IRS. Recording threat to the taxpayer on charges of criminal fraud, an arrest warrant and a “blacklist” of your social security number. The recorded voice provides the taxpayer a number of false case and a phone number to call and return the refund.
Here are some things that taxpayers should remember if someone contacts them about an erroneous refund:
- There are established procedures that taxpayers should continue to return funds to the IRS wrong. Number Tax Topic 161 – Repayment of an erroneous refund (in English), has all the details on how to return the money, including real postal addresses where a taxpayer must send a paper check, if necessary. By law, they can accumulate interest on erroneous refunds.
- The IRS encourages taxpayers to discuss the problem with their financial institutions because it may be necessary to close bank accounts.
- Taxpayers who receive erroneous refunds should also contact their tax preparers immediately.