The tax scammers are having a
field day. Millions of people are being cajoled and threatened into sending
money or revealing damaging personal information to telephone callers and
emailers. My professional email is being filled these days by scammers posing
as prospective clients. Tags like “urgent- please help” or “I have been
referred to you” or just a typically American surname is used as the reference.
Opening an email from one of these conmen caused a virus that swallowed my laptop.
But it could be worse. The tax scammers are working tax professionals this way.
The “client”will seek advice in filing their individual or business tax
returns. If the practitioner responds requesting tax data, the scammer forwards
an email file for review. Once opened that file contains either a virus or a
program designed to infiltrate the practitioner’s computer to obtain
identifying and other confidential information. I now simply delete all of
these emails as soon as received. If there is in fact a client seeking my
services they will have to go about it in the old fashion way. The IRS has
listed this scheme as one of the “Dirty Dozen” they publish every year along
with many of the usual cast of characters including: Identity Theft, Return
Preparer Fraud, Fake Charities (giving out fake news BTW), Padding Tax
Deductions( America’s favorite indoor sport), False Credit Claims, Tax Shelter
Abuse and Offshore Tax Schemes of all kinds. The list is revised from time to
time as the tax season and the year proceeds.
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