MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Tax season is an enticing time for criminals. AARP Alabama shared scammers may call you pretending to be IRS agents.
“They will spoof your caller ID, so it looks like it’s actually coming from the IRS or from a phone number in Washington, D.C.,” said Jamie Harding with AARP Alabama. “They will claim that you owe back taxes, that you need to pay those taxes immediately.”
They may even threaten to arrest you, but it is a ploy to lure you in and get you to hand over personal information.
“The IRS is never going to make first contact with you over the phone, or a text message, or an email,” Harding said. “They are going to send you a letter through the regular mail.”
If criminals can get ahold of your private information, like your social security number, they may file fraudulent tax returns to steal your money. They could also sell your identity.
“The criminals, in this case, will resell your…
