media@nclnet.org<\/a><\/p>\nWashington, DC — Tax-related scams are on the rise, according to consumer complaints tracked by the National Consumers League\u2019s Fraud Center. Reports of tax scams from consumers nearly quadrupled in 2007 from the year before, and the trend seems to be continuing into 2008<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time of year \u2013 and with the economy in the shape it\u2019s currently in \u2013 crooks see vulnerable prey in consumers feeling the squeeze at tax time, said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League. \u201cPosing as<\/p>\n
IRS officials, these criminals pretend to be helping consumers claim a refund they\u2019re due, but they\u2019re really setting up a sting to steal consumers\u2019 hard-earned cash. Consumers who are eager to get their refund faster may be vulnerable to these pitches.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the scam, which was first reported to NCL\u2019s Fraud Center in April 2005, the two most common scenarios are both \u201cPhishing\u201d schemes: the victim receives a phone call from an \u201cIRS employee\u201d offering a tax refund \u2013 however, they need the taxpayer\u2019s checking account number, he or she is told, in order to deposit the money. \u00a0Alternately, the victim gets an email claiming to be from the IRS \u2013 often with a realistic-looking sender address \u2013 stating that the consumer is due a refund and needs to click on a link and enter their personal financial information in order to have it processed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Fraud Center received close to 50 complaints in 2007, which we believe is just the tip of the iceberg, since many people don\u2019t report these scams due to embarrassment,\u201d said Greenberg. \u201cMany consumers who do report have been too savvy to fall victim. However, with tax season upon us, and as scammers\u2019 pitch continues to evolve, we\u2019re cautioning consumers against falling for the bait.<\/p>\n
Tips for Consumers:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Be immediately suspicious if someone claiming to be from the IRS or any other government agency contacts you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Do not give out any personal information \u2013 legitimate government agencies will have a consumer\u2019s contact information on file and should not need you to provide it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n