GREENSBORO, N.C. — Fact: Tax Day is April 18, 2023.
Fact: Scammers are working right now to take your money.
“Criminals will steal money from anyone. It doesn't matter if you're 15 or 95. They will steal your money, whether it's $5 or $500 or $500,000, they don't care,” said Amy Nofziger, Director of Fraud Victim Support, AARP.
Nofziger details how the scammers work. They call, text or email claiming to be from the IRS. They often claim back taxes are owed or there's a problem with your return.
“So, we hear a lot of people being requested for prepaid gift cards or even cryptocurrency,” said Nofziger.
Gift cards and cryptocurrency are dead giveaways you are talking to a scammer. But the scammers make the problem seem real and urgent.
You would not be alone in believing the scam. In recent years, more than 75,000 Americans have lost $28 million due to IRS imposter scams. Of course, that's just the folks that reported their losses.
SCAMMERS CAN PRETEND TO BE ANYONE
Scammers can pretend to be calling from your credit card company, your power company, the IRS, or even a member of your local police department.
When you get a call or text or email, take down the info of what they say is wrong, just so you have it.
Don't give out any personal info, don't click any links -- don't put in any password or log-in info.
If it's a call hang up. Don't use the numbers they give you to call back.
Go to your app, or online account, look up the number on your card or the number to the agency, and go from there to see if there's really anything wrong.