State warns of IRS tax scams
Beware of phone calls or e-mails claiming to come from the IRS, warn the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Department of Revenue (DOR).
According to DATCP, a caller posing as an IRS employee has been calling state residents about economic stimulus payments. The caller asks the taxpayer for their Social Security and bank account numbers, claiming they are needed to process a stimulus payment.
Another version of the scam originates as an e-mail titled “2008 Economic Stimulus Refund” and includes a link to a form that asks for personal financial information.
Two more newer scams include:
- The audit scam. This phony e-mail tries to scare recipients into thinking their tax returns will be audited unless they respond to the hoax.
- The paper check phone call. A caller claims to be an IRS employee who is calling because the IRS sent a check to the individual being called. The caller says that because the check has not been cashed, the IRS wants to verify the individual’s bank account number.
Older scams also continue, such as e-mails that appear to be from the IRS and instruct recipients to click on a link to access a “refund claim form.”
In a new wrinkle, the current version of the refund scam includes two paragraphs that appear to be directed toward tax-exempt organizations that distribute funds to other organizations or individuals. The e-mail contains the name and false signature of the Director of the IRS’s Exempt Organizations business division.
To help prevent identity theft as a result of these and other scams, please be aware – and remind others – that:
- Neither the IRS nor the Wisconsin Department of Revenue would ever contact taxpayers via an unsolicited e-mail or phone call.
- No separate application is needed to apply for a state tax refund. Taxpayers can access state tax refund information at the DOR web site or by calling (608) 266-2772.
- Filing a tax return is the only way to apply for a tax refund. Taxpayers who wish to find out if they are due a refund from their last annual tax return filing should see the Where’s My Refund? page of the IRS web site.
- State residents who qualify can receive free income tax filing assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.
- For more information about consumer fraud protection, call the toll free hotline of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection: 1-800-422-7128.
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