(AmericanProsperity.com) – Every year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) releases the 12 most aggressive scams targeting Americans. Just released on July 16, this year’s Dirty Dozen list focuses heavily on schemes related to the novel coronavirus pandemic and filing taxes.
Most scams on the list focus on impersonating a legitimate company, charity, or organization in order to get personal information, like tax return information, from someone. Examples of this on the dirty dozen list are:
- Fake charities
- Intimidating IRS impersonator calls
- Social media scams
- Fraudulent tax return preparers
These scammers use well-known names in order to lure victims into a false sense of security before convincing them to reveal sensitive information. This strategy was used recently when hackers took over influential accounts on Twitter and requested money be sent to an account with the promise of it being repaid double.
According to the IRS, hackers will heavily target seniors and non-English speakers this year. To protect yourself and your family from scams, ignore phone calls, text messages, and emails from senders you do not know.
Check the IRS website for more security tips as well. They list charity EIN numbers, show you how to choose a tax preparer, and provide information on how coronavirus stimulus money is released. This, among bits of advice, will help keep your hard-earned money safe in your pocket.
~Here’s to Your Prosperity!
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