How to protect yourself from tax season scam calls

Tax season has become a prime time for phone scams. Of the almost 9.6 billion robocalls that have already been placed nationwide this year, more than 40 percent have been scams. Canyon Lake seems to have been inundated with these calls.

The scams are run by fraudsters armed with robocalling technology that enables them to make tens of thousands of calls per minute with the sole purpose of deceiving people and stealing their money.

According to the FCC, people reported losing more than $667 million to various scams in 2019, with phone calls being the number one way people were contacted by scammers. There are ways to stay safe from the increasing threat of these scam calls that wireless customers receive every day. Here’s what Canyon Lakers should know:

The IRS may call people, but it will usually send bills by mail first. If the IRS does call you, know that it will never demand immediate payment over the phone or threaten action from law enforcement. Tax season is already stressful enough—if you receive an urgent and/or threatening phone call regarding your taxes, it’s definitely a scam!

Beware of Caller ID Spoofing! As scam protection gets smarter, so do fraudsters. Many scammers will use a technique called “Caller ID Spoofing,” disguising their phone number to make it look like a local number so people are more likely to answer. If you receive a call from a local number that you’re not familiar with and want to play it safe, let it go to voicemail and, if needed, call back later.

Other media also will scam. The suspicious Facebook message from that person you’ve never met? Probably a scam. Phone calls aren’t the only weapon scammers have in their arsenal—they can contact you by email, text, and social media. If you receive a suspicious message through one of these channels, that’s your first clue that you’re being targeted. The IRS will never contact taxpayers by email, text message or social media.

Your wireless service provider may have solutions for you already. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently implemented new standards for wireless service providers in order to help fight scam calls—especially spoofing. With new technology, network operators can verify that calls are truly coming from the number displayed on Caller ID. Of course, not all robocalls are nuisance or scam calls. An unknown call could be a reminder for a doctor’s appointment, or a notification of a package delivery.

Many network operators have solutions in place to help customers verify calls. Customers should ask their operator what solutions they have or look for third-party solutions to verify who’s calling.

Taking these basic steps can help keep you—and your money—safe from scammers this tax season, but it won’t guarantee 100% protection. Ultimately, being educated about various types of fraudulent scams, taking preventative steps to protect personal information, and making smart, informed choices can help you outsmart potential scams during the tax season. Remember, if it seems questionable, it probably is!