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“Calls about tax fraud come up every single year,” Lt. James Perez said.
According to Perez, the two biggest red flags tax filers should be aware of are phone calls that ask victims to wire money or to send a prepaid green dot card.
“A lot of times these scammers don’t have legitimate bank accounts, and they definitely don’t accept credit cards,” Perez said. “So they’ll tell you something along the lines of, ‘The fastest way to get your tax refund is to wire the money.’”
Although identity theft is a year-round business for criminals, the holiday season seems to be at the start of the year, when scammers will “fish” for personal information under the guise of a tax preparer, Perez said. And while there are many ways to prevent identity theft, one of the best ways to protect yourself is far less complicated.
“If you want to make your self a small target,” Perez said, “deny giving out your personal information. It’s as simple as that.”
If you receive a call or email from someone you don’t know, especially when attempting to provide services that you did not request, do not reply, Perez said.
“Sometimes, especially with senior citizens, when they receive calls from people they don’t know, they don’t want to be rude and hang up,” he told the Daily Voice. “Hang up.
"These people are skilled in psychological tactics and they will get you to let your guard down.”
Another red flag, he added, is when people ask for information such as your name, address, date of birth and Social Security number. However, “a legit business that knows you, already has your information.”
According to Perez, most scams occur over the phone, in the mail or in person, door-to-door. While many believe filing your taxes online, using a product such as Intuit’s Turbotax, is risky, Perez said the do-it-yourself tax-filing systems prove to be safe.
“I would prefer a brick and mortar because that’s a lot of information to be giving out over your computer,” he said. “However, Turbotax is proven to be reliable. It’s really about personal preference.”
Perez suggests those who have not filed to file as soon as possible, since many only find out they are a victim of fraud by attempting to file their return and being notified it has already been filed.
When choosing who to trust with your taxes and where to file, Perez added, “word of mouth,” is the best reference.
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