DAYTON — Last year, the IRS said they found $16.5 billion in fraudulent tax returns. That’s real money that people lost, while approximately 2 billion tax returns were flagged for potential identity theft.
News Center 7′s Xavier Hershovitz talked with experts on what you need to do to make sure you get the money owed to you.
John North, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau in Dayton said, “They’re taking the opportunity to try and scam in several different ways.”
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He said criminals use anything they can to their advantage and tax season is no different. “Unfortunately, many of us continue to fall for it, and we end up losing thousands of dollars,” North said.
One of the top scams they see is IRS imposter cams. People posing as the IRS in phone calls or emails, saying you owe money, and you need to pay it now.
“Threaten to send the police out there. Threaten to send the IRS agents out there to collect and people you know don’t know what to do, they react quickly,” North said.
If you do get someone reaching out to you who says they are the IRS, North says, take a breath, double and triple check that who you are talking to is truly who they say they are.
“Usually, the IRS will send you a letter with a telephone number for you to contact them,” North said.
There’s also a push from criminals to steal your tax return. “They find Social Security numbers, they go they do the return, the IRS sends them the money,” North said.
The IRS, The Better Business Bureau, and a local tax expert Hershovitz talked to all agree that the best way to avoid scams with your refund is to file as soon as possible. That way – scammers aren’t touching your hard-earned money.
North also suggests you set up a PIN with the IRS. That way, you have an extra layer of protection.
“The IRS is doing a lot to try and stop this from happening, but these scammers are finding any doorway into the scam,” North said.
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