Taxpayers should watch for new versions of two tax related scams. One involves Social Security numbers related to tax issues. The other threatens taxpayers with a tax bill from a fictional government agency. Here are some details about these scams:
The Social Security Number Scheme
You may get a phone call in which scammers claim to be able to suspend or cancel the victim’s Social Security number. This scam is similar to and often associated with the IRS impersonation scam.
It is yet another attempt by con artists to frighten taxpayers into returning robocall voicemails in order to get access to personal information.
Scammers may mention overdue taxes in addition to threatening to cancel the taxpayer’s SSN.
Fake Tax Agency
This scheme involves a letter threatening an IRS lien or levy.
The scammer mails the letter to the taxpayer.
The lien or levy is based on bogus overdue taxes owed to a non-existent agency.
The fake agency is called the “Bureau of Tax Enforcement.” There is no such agency.
The lien notification scam also likely references the IRS to confuse potential victims into thinking the letter is from a legitimate agency.
Share this information with your friends and relatives. Unfortunately, older folks are often targeted by these scams. If they are in doubt , suggest that they ask a trusted person to help them before they give out any personal information or send money to anyone.