Tax Season is fraud season. It’s prime time for fraudsters and scammers looking to steal your personal and financial data.
Like the IRS Imposter scam, fraudsters are targeting students pretending to be from the IRS and demanding that they pay a “federal student tax”. The scammers threaten students with jail time, if they don’t wire money using a pre-paid card or even an iTunes card. They may also require them to provide personal information over the phone. There is no such tax. It’s a scam.
Tip: If students receive this call, they should immediately hang up and never give out personal information over the phone. These con artists will spoof caller id to make it look like it’s coming from the IRS. Don’t take the bait. The IRS does not phone, email or text. They correspond through snail mail using official letterhead. Never authenticate yourself to someone who contacts you.
Take advantage of Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week to learn how to avoid scams and protect your identity.
