Frauds, Scams, & Cheats, Oh My!
“In the old days, a con man would be good looking, suave, well dressed, well spoken and present themselves real well. Those days are long gone because it’s not necessary. The people committing these crimes are doing it from hundreds of miles away.” ~Frank Abagnale
This past week, the people of the United States heard a drop of good news among the seemingly downpour of bad. Earlier this week, officials in India arrested dozens of individuals posing as representatives of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who were demanding monetary payments over the phone via credit or debit card for “non-payment” of federal taxes. According to the Wall Street Journal, this scam has cost over 8,800 people close to $47 million dollars that will never be recovered…and those numbers only represent the people who reported the fraud. Think about that for a moment. I bet everyone who reads this post has been called but these scammers or know someone who has, but how many have paid out of fear and how many have failed to report it out of shame or embarrassment?
Last week while at the Fountain Place Health Fair I had a great conversation with Melissa Miller of the State of Indiana Office of the Attorney General, a specialist with victim assistance and outreach services. She was there to help raise awareness of fraud that is committed day in and day out, typically against the elderly and the infirmed (but no one is immune). Mrs. Miller’s efforts were in speaking about not only the IRS fraud but to remind people of the other common frauds and scams that are so prolific today. The following frauds are the most common cheats that con artist try and pull; The Nigerian Scams, Tech-Support Scams, Lottery Scams, Disaster Relief Scams, Overpayment Scams, “Free” Trial Offer Scams, The Phishing Email Scams and of course The IRS Scam. Unfortunately, thousands of people fall prey to these scams every year costing millions of hard earned dollars. In discussing the IRS Scam, the individual pursuing the scam presses for payment right then and there over the phone but the IRS doesn’t work that way. The Internal Revenue Service has published five easy ways to spot scammers trying to cheat you out of your earnings and I have posted them here as well as the IRS website link.
The IRS will never:
· Call to demand immediate payment, nor will we call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
· Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
· Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
· Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
· Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov. (from https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/scam-phone-calls-continue-irs-identifies-five-easy-ways-to-spot-suspicious-calls)
The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to be informed and aware. Cheaters come in all forms and they attack from all directions be it over the phone, the internet and even in person. If the scammer is pressuring you for immediate payment, chances are, it’s a scam. The following link is to the State of Indiana Victim Service’s website, http://in.gov/attorneygeneral/2340.htm As always, thanks for reading, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to email me at wmreid@bhcshealth.com and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. I hope everyone has a safe weekend, take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com