LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For someone who may be filing their taxes last minute, the IRS is warning people of the latest scams.
The IRS said there are 12 scams curated to steal money, personal information or data during the peak filing season as people prepare to make their returns, however, it is also a year-round problem.
#1: Be aware of aggressive pitches from scammers who say they can get you a large refund for the "employee retention credit."
The IRS says promoters are conning ineligible people to claim the credit, and some advertisements about the credit are just false promises in exchange for personal info.
#2: Phishing and smishing scams
These scams involve text messages and emails from people posing as legitimate organizations. They may be posing as the IRS, a tax filing service, or even the State of Nevada. It's good to remember the IRS initiates most contact through mail, never by email, text or social media.
Financial advisor, Steve Budin, also shares some red flags to look out for.
"Look at the email carefully," he said. "Is your name spelled right, is it even your name? It may just be Dear valued customer, or something impersonal. That indicates it's a mass email sent to everybody. Thirdly, see who it's coming from. Usually, they are very crafty in disguising who its from, it may be a common bank, but one letter is missing and you may miss it."
We only discuss just the top two, the IRS also wants you to avoid help from third party online scammers who offer to help you set up your IRS account. Also, stay away from tax return preparers who charge a fee based on the size of your refund, or if they are not willing to sign the dotted line.
