3rd Quarter, 2021
IRS AND SOCIAL SECURIT Y FR AUD
by
T O D D S . A DA M S chief executive officer
W
hat is your reaction when you see or hear the words YOU OWE THE IRS MONEY or THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY? These phrases are enough to make anyone’s pulse quicken. That is, of course, exactly why scammers use them. Both approaches are designed to g e t you r i m me d iate attention and get you to send money or information they can use to steal from you. Unfortunately, scammers are often successful because they’ve fine-tuned their ability to trigger people’s fears. They usually present a problem that needs a quick solution in order to make their scam work. Of course, no one wants to think they could be on the wrong side of the IRS. Many of our customers depend on Social Security for their livelihood, so the thought of a benefit payment being delayed or missed causes high anxiety. Because the con artists are continually creating new variations on these themes, you need to remain on the lookout. This quarter, we want to provide some tips and information you may use to keep from being scammed in these areas.
What are some red flags? Scammers may set themselves up as a fake tax agency and mail letters threatening an IRS lien falsely based on delinquent taxes owed to an agency that doesn’t exist, such as the “Bureau of Tax Enforcement.” Many Social Security scams involve robocall voicemails that threaten to cancel a person’s THE IRS WILL NE VER: Social Security number (SSN) Leave a message on your answering if “overdue taxes” aren’t paid. system that is pre-recorded, urgent, or Fake or “spoofed” phone threatening. numbers can make it appear Threaten a taxpayer with arrest, as though calls originate from deportation, revocation of a license or SSN. an IRS office, local sheriff’s Demand that taxes be paid without giving office, department of motor the taxpayer the opportunity to question or vehicles, or federal agency. appeal the amount owed. Even though the IRS and the Ask for credit or debit card numbers over Social Security Administration the phone. Generally, the IRS will first mail may contact people in some a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes. All tax situations, they will never payments should only be made payable to the say or do the kind of things U.S. Treasury and checks should never be made the con artists do. See the payable to third parties. center of this article for a list Call to demand immediate payment using of examples. a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. The A willingness to simply hang IRS does not use these methods for tax payments. up is one of your best defenses. Use text messages or social media to If you have questions, you can discuss tax issues like bills or refunds. always reach out to the real agencies directly using the contact information found on SOCIAL SECURIT Y WILL NE VER: their websites. Threaten you with the suspension of your W hen you receive a call Social Security number. demanding action that it Demand an immediate payment. appears to be unwarranted, Require payment by cash, gift card, or make sure you don’t let a wire transfer. scammer rush you into a bad Ask for gift card numbers over the phone. situation.
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