More bad people out there wanting to steal good people’s money. The Internal Revenue Services says scams targeting Kansas seniors are on the increase. Scammers are impersonating IRS agents. Victims are pressured into making immediate payments through unusual methods such as gift cards or wire transfers under the pretense of resolving fake tax liabilities or securing false refunds. These scammers pose as agents from the IRS, Social Security Administration and Medicare. The scammers often have manipulated the caller-id to look like a legitimate number. The scammers often pose urgent scenarios, such as outstanding debts or promises of significant prize winnings. Victims may be falsely informed that they owe the irs money, are owed a tax refund, need to verify accounts or must pay fees to claim non-existent lottery winnings. They are very demanding, with threats of arrest, deportation, license suspension or computer viruses in order to force quick compliance. They often insist on payment by cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps, or gift cards.
The IRS will never communicate through email, text, or social media regarding tax bills or refunds. Also, they will never demand payment immediately, or threaten police action, and never will accept payment with gift cards or other unorthodox payment methods. If you get such a call, text, email or social media message…it is a scam! If you get such a communication, report it immediately to the police, and they will help you report it to the proper authorities.
