10 Tax Season Scams to Avoid
A Field Guide to Filing Period Fraudsters
It’s tax season—which means it’s also scam season. Odds are that right now, some foreign techno-spammer posing as the government is trying to worm their way inside your wallet.
No, we’re not talking about Elon. There are lots of other scams out there besides getting appointed Special Non-Governmental Rasputin. So it’s important to stay informed about what scams may be attempted on you between now and April 15th.
Here’s a helpful guide.
THE SCAM
You get a phone call from someone speaking Bulgarian. The only words you can translate are tax, penalty, jail, and deadline.
THE FACTS
This is not a call from the IRS, which conducts its business in English. (Though you may be in trouble with the Bulgarian Revenue Service.)
THE SCAM
Two men with baseball bats appear at your door and say, “You'se best pay Uncle Sam—or else.”
THE FACTS
The IRS hasn't equipped its agents with bats for several decades.
THE SCAM
A poorly-spelled, ungrammatical email informs you that an IRS agent being held in a Cambodian prison needs $10,000 for bail.
THE FACTS
While this does happen quite often, the bail requests are sent directly to the federal government, not to private citizens.
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