Email, social media, phones used for ‘Dirty Dozen’ tax scams

IRS

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today continues its “Dirty
Dozen” scam series with a warning to taxpayers to watch out for
unexpected schemes in the form of emails, text or social media messages
and phone calls.

Unscrupulous individuals seek to obtain personal information for the
purpose of tax-related identity theft. Whether through a telephone call,
text message or email, the con artist tries to convince the recipient
that they need to provide Social Security numbers, bank account or
credit card information or passwords. The scam may also include sending
links that once clicked on can download malicious software that
collects, or “mines” personal data.

Often, criminals pose as someone the recipient knows or frequently
interacts with, whether a social or family relationship or a business
contact. They gather much of this information from social media. A
person’s contacts or ‘friends’ are used to bait the recipient into…