Don’t take the call! Telephone imposter scams on the rise
One of the most popular types of fraud is called an employment scam. There are many different types of variations for this scam, but the most common is when a victim is falsely led to believe they have landed their dream job. After the “employer” hires the victim (with no legal documents signed) they send the victim a counterfeit cashier’s check stating they are going to pay for the equipment that they will need for the job. They then later claim they over paid and demand that the excess funds are returned. They give the victim a fake account number and instruct them to send the funds electronically via a money transferring service. If the victim falls for the tricks, and sends the funds, they will most likely never see those funds again. This nightmare becomes reality when the check bounces and the victim is left with the bill. Once the check bounces, the victim owes the money back to the financial institution. Often times the victims are truly looking for a job and are already worried about money, so this just compounds the issue.
Be on the lookout for these frequent tax season schemes and scams.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! In recent years, thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams and fake IRS communication. This article looks at the scams affecting individuals and businesses and what to do if you if you spot a tax scam.