Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
Better Business Bureau® Serving Greater Cleveland (BBB®) is warning consumers to look out for tax debt relief scams during the upcoming tax season. While there are legitimate companies specializing in tax debt relief services, tax debt relief scammers may contact consumers regarding unpaid tax bills in an attempt to scare them to solicit an immediate payment. Other times, scammers may advertise payment plans or that they are able to settle with the IRS for “pennies on the dollar.” Some taxpayers who filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that, after signing up with some of these companies and paying thousands of dollars in upfront fees, the companies took even more of their money by making unauthorized charges to their credit cards or withdrawals from their bank accounts. Other times, scammers may be trying to solicit personally identifiable information (PII) information from victims, such as Social Security numbers and date of birth, since this information can be used to file taxes and obtain refunds.
Recently, a consumer from Parma reported to BBB in early March about harassing voicemails she has been receiving concerning tax debt relief. The consumer told BBB that she receives calls from “Tax Debt Relief” multiple times a day, from multiple numbers. “This is a nuisance. The phone numbers are throughout the United States…I have called the numbers back to tell them to stop calling. I am told they will take me off the list but they continue to call. This has been going on since mid-January.” The consumer also reported the phone calls to the Parma Police Department and has attempted to block all numbers the scammers are calling on to no avail. The consumer also told BBB that she is not aware of any unpaid taxes and has received no letters regarding an unpaid debt from the IRS.
The IRS advises taxpayers who owe taxes or think they do to view tax account information online at IRS.gov or call the IRS at 800-829-1040. To find out more information about how to obtain an Identity Protection Pin or to enable facial recognition on logins, visit their website here.
If individuals have spotted a scam (whether or not they’ve lost money), they can report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. These reports can help others avoid falling victim to scams. Consumers can also visit the Scam Tracker website to view the latest reported scams in their neighborhood or across North America.
Have additional questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216-241-7678 or [email protected].
