(We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, February 4, 2022) Diagram of an email phishing scam (Photo from Getty Images)

Tax season is approaching, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reminds the public to be alert to possible unemployment-related fraud, protect personal identity and financial information throughout the year, and beware of scammers posing as IRS personnel or other means of defrauding money, which may involve text messages, e-mail, telephone, and other communication tools and social media.

IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said that scammers are already using lifelike emails and text messages related to tax returns to defraud. Keeping an eye out for these common scams can protect everyone from being a victim of identity theft and your own personal information so that it cannot be stolen and used for fraudulent tax returns and refunds.

Texting scams: Fraudsters send text messages to taxpayers' phones about the coronavirus and/or "stimulus grants." Messages often contain fake links purporting to be IRS websites or other online tools. Do not click on a link or open an attachment after receiving an unsolicited, unanticipated text message, whether the text purports to be from the IRS, a state tax agency, or anyone else in the tax field.

Unemployment-related fraud: Watch out for claims for unemployment benefits or other benefits that have never been filed, organized crime gangs use stolen identities to make fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits, cases are surging in states, criminals are using these stolen identities to defraud benefits.

Email phishing scams: The IRS does not contact taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. In most cases, the IRS will contact taxpayers by regular mail from the U.S. Postal Service. If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited fraudulent email that appears to be from the IRS or a project claiming to be closely related to the IRS, please attach it to 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。. Full details are available on the Report Phishing and Online Scams page on the IRS.gov website.

Phone scams: The IRS does not use pre-recorded voice messages to leave pressing or threatening messages. In many forms of phone scams, victims are told that an arrest warrant will be issued if they do not return the call. Other verbal threats include law enforcement intervention, deportation, or license revocation.

Criminals can forge or "spoof" a calling number to appear as a number anywhere in the United States, including an IRS office, preventing taxpayers from verifying the real phone number. Fraudsters also pose as local police departments, state motor vehicle departments, federal agencies, and other agencies to convince taxpayers that the call is legitimate.

The IRS (and its authorized private cashiers) will never: call to request immediate payment using a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer. The IRS will not require taxpayers to use these methods to pay their taxes; threaten to immediately dispatch local police or other law enforcement agencies to arrest taxpayers who do not pay taxes; ask for tax on the phone; ask for a credit or debit card number on the phone.

(Source: World Journal)