With taxes due on April 18 this year, it’s important to be aware of tax scams. In the last two months, several people have reached out to our newsroom in Lubbock or the South Plains with complaints of tax scams.
The Internal Revenue Service warns about scammers and has a website where scams can be reported here.
Mark Dickson, a CPA and Shareholder at Mason Warner & Company in Lubbock, said in the last six or seven weeks, he’s probably averaged about a call a week from a client who received a phone call from someone claiming to be with the IRS.
His first advice is to call a tax professional.
“If you have one, great. If not, most of us, especially after we get through our busy season, we’re willing to take calls and visit with you,” Dickson said.
According to Clay Sanford, a media relations representative for the North Texas IRS office, it’s important for people to know what the IRS will or will not do.
Sanford said the IRS will not call and demand immediate payment, ask for your credit card information over the phone, threaten you with a lawsuit or police action, or demand you pay them in a specific way.
One way to track scams happening in the local area is through the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker, found here.
Greg Linder, president and CEO of the BBB of the South Plains, said the phone calls with people claiming to be with the IRS happen all year long.
“It’s been kind of on-going for the last several years, the scam phone calls, phone callers claiming to be with the IRS, phishing emails when they’re trying to get information from you, either get you to click on a fraudulent link,” Linder said.
People can also contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 with questions.
“You can also call the IRS, ” Dickson said. “It takes, sometimes, a little bit of time to get through to them, you’re on hold sometimes, but it’s worth it once you get through to a live person. They can tell you if you owe them any tax, right there on the phone.”
