STEVE: WE'RE BACK WITH YOU NOW.
I'M SORRY TO BE THE ONE TO BREAK
THIS TO YOU, BUT TIME IS TICKING
UNTIL YOUR TAXES ARE DUE.
18 DAYS, 14 HOURS, AWAY HERE.
THE CRUNCH TIME IS HERE, SO IS
SCAM TIME.
WE ARE JOINED BY A FINANCIAL
ADVISER TO TALK ABOUT SCAMS
BECAUSE THIS IS THE TIME WHEN
PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET YOUR
MONEY, PERSONAL IDENTITY.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> TWO DIFFERING AREAS TO TALK
ABOUT.
THERE'S THE ONLINE ONES AND THE
PHONE ONES.
LET'S START ONLINE BECAUSE MORE
AND MORE ARE TRYING TO DO THEIR
TAXES ONLINE NOW.
WHAT IS THE BIG ONE PEOPLE ARE
SEEING ONLINE?
>> A PARTICULAR E-MAIL SCAM
TARGETED TOWARDS NOT ONLY THE
TAXPAYERS, BUT ALSO TAX
PREPARERS.
MIGHT RECEIVE AN E-MAIL THAT
LOOKS LIKE IT'S COMING FROM A
CLIENT REQUESTING A LAST-MINUTE
CHANGE TO WHERE THE REFUND WILL
GO.
FOR EXAMPLE, A PREPAID DEBIT
RD.
THESE E-MAILS ARE ALSO GOING OUT
TO TAXPAYERS, THE E-MAIL LOOKS
LIKE IT'S COMING FROM A BANK OR
THE PERSON WHO PREPARES THEIR
TAXES THAT'S REQUESTING AN
ACCOUNT UPDATE, REQUESTING THEIR
INFORMATION.
STEVE: LIKE TO GET THE REFUND,
FOR INSTANCE.
>> RIGHT.
IT'S A SCAM TO STEAL THE
INFORMATION.
STEVE: WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE
PHONE SIDE OF THINGS?
>> THERE'S AGGRESSIVE PHONE SCAM
WHERE THE CALLER PRESENTS
THEMSELVES AS SOMEONE FROM THE
I.R.S.
AND IT CAN BE A REALLY
LEGITIMATE-SEEMING SCAM.
IN SOME CASES THE CALLER CAN
ALREADY KNOW A LOT ABOUT YOU.
AND THE CALLER I.D. MAY LOOK
LIKE IT'S COMING FROM A
GOVERNMENT NUMBER.
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THE I.R.S.
IS NEVER GOING TO TRY TO CONTACT
YOU THROUGH TEXT MESSAGE OR
SOCIAL MEDIA OR AN E-MAIL AND
THEY ARE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO
CALL YOU ABOUT TAXES YOU OWE OR
ISSUES WITHOUT FIRST SENDING
THINGS IN THE MAIL.
KEEP YOUR GUARD UP.
IT COULD BE A SCAM.
STEVE: EXPECT THE LETTER FIRST.
THAT WOULD BE WHAT THE I.R.S.
WOULD DO?
>> THEY WILL SEND SOMETHING IN
THE MAIL BEFORE THEY CONTACT YOU
ON THE PHONE.
STEVE: ARE THERE CERTAIN
SIMILARITIES THAT PEOPLE CAN
LOOK OUT FOR?
>> MOST OF THESE ARE PHISHING
SCAMS -- FISHING SCAMS.
THE PERSON IMPERSONATING A
FAMILY MEMBER, I.R.S., AN
ATTEMPT TO GET YOUR INFORMATION.
IF YOU EVER GET A E-MAIL THAT
HAS A LINK OR ATTACHMENT FROM
SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW,
SOMETIMES THOSE LINKS A
DESIGNED TO TAKE YOU TO A
COMPLETELY SEPARATE WEBSITE USED
TO STEAL YOUR INFORMATION AND
TRY TO GET YOUR PERSONAL
IDENTIFYING NUMBERS.
STEVE: WE GET CALLS INTO THE
NEWSROOM WHEN PEOPLE FALL FOR
THESE SCAMS, THEY SAY I GOT THE
CALL, IT SOUNDED SO REAL.
WHAT ARE THE KEYS BETWEEN
TELLING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THOSE THAT MAY BE REAL PHONE
CALLS FROM PROFESSIONAL
TAXPAYER, VERSUS THE SCAMS?
>> I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO LOOK
OUT FOR THE PERSON PREPARING
THEIR TAXES -- THEY WILL KNOW
WHO THAT IS.
IF YOU GET AN E-MAIL FROM
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU SHOULD
CALL THE PERSON OR COMPANY THAT
PREPARES YOUR TAX SO YOU CAN
VERIFY, DID YOU SEND THIS
E-MAIL?
MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO BY THE
OFFICE AND BRING THE INFORMATION
TO THEM RATHER THAN REPLYING TO
THE E-MAIL.
STEVE: YOU'RE SAYING IN SOME
CASES THEY KNOW A LOT OF
INFORMATION.
>> YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, OTHER
IDENTIFYING INFORMATION WHERE IT
SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LEGITIMATE
CALLER FROM THE I.R.S.
STEVE: IF YOU FALL VICTIM TO
THIS, SEVERAL THINGS HAPPEN.
ONE, THESE PEOPLE COULD STEAL
YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY.
WHAT ARE THE FIRST THINGS PEOPLE
NEED TO DO?
>> ESPECIALLY IF IT'S
TAX-RELATED SCAM, CONTACT THE
I.R.S., DOCUMENT EVERYTHING,
STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE I.R.S.
UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED.
IF YOU HAVE AN E-MAIL THAT YOU
BELIEVE MIGHT BE A SCAM E-MAIL
YOU CAN FORWARD IT TO PHISHING
AT I.R.S DOT GOV.
IT MIGHT NOT BE A BAD IDEA TO
CONTACT THE LOCAL POLICE.
IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO
CONTACT THE FRAUD DEPARTMENTS
AND CREDIT BUREAUS TO REPORT THE
POTENTIAL THAT YOUR IDENTITY MAY
HAVE BEEN STOLEN.
STEVE: THAT'S PHISHING WITH A
P-H FOR THE E-MAIL.
IN TERMS OF CREDIT MONITORING,
THIS IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO
WATCH OUT FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE
PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION
TO ACT LIKE YOU?
>> POTENTIALLY.
IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO CONTACT
DIFFERENT CREDIT AGENCIES AND
REQUEST YOUR CREDIT REPORT EACH
YEAR TO MAKE SURE THERE'S
NOTHING SUSPICIOUS.
STEVE: PEOPLE WHO FILE THEIR
TAXES, SOMEONE HAS ALREADY FILED
UNDER THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY,
WHAT ARE PEOPL TO DO IN THAT
INSTANCE?
>> YOU'LL HAVE TO CONTACT THE
I.R.S., MAYBE CONTA SOCIAL
SECURITY DEPARTMENT.
REPORT YOUR INFORMATION TO
REPORT WHO YOU ARE.
THAT'S A SERIOUS TYPE OF SCAM.
STEVE: THE GOAL IS TO GET YOUR
REFUND BEFORE YOU DO.
>> FILE TAXES UNDER YOUR SOCIAL
SECURITY TO GET THE REFUND
STEVE: TIPS TO DO IT SAFELY?
>> IF YOU'RE DOING IT ONLINE,
CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD FREQUENTLY
AND DON'T USE THE SAME PASSWORD
FOR EVERY SITE.
CRIMINALS KNOW WE LIKE TO KEEP
THINGS SIMPLE AND WE USE THE
SAME PASSWORD FOR EVERYTHING.
ANOTHER THING, DON'T GIVE OUT
YOUR NUMBERS LIKE YOUR DRIVER'S
LICENSE NUMBER, SOCIAL SECURITY,
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