Tag Archives: scam

Protecting Older Americans Against the Top Scam: IRS Impersonations

 

No age group is immune to scams. It can happen to any age group, income level and gender. Scammers are no respecter to persons when it comes to getting your money. However, seniors should be protective of their finances, as they are more likely to have significant life savings and great credit. They also may be unsure of who to report fraud to, or don’t out of shame. This makes them a great target for scams. Unfortunately, the top scam among older Americans is IRS Impersonations.

 

Why IRS Impersonations?

 

  • Taxes and money are linked, so being able to access someone’s tax account gives them extensive amounts of highly personal information.
  • This information can be serviced into capital.

 

Telephone Scams

 

They may receive a phone call from the scammer, claiming to be from the IRS. They will give a fake name, badge number and even call from a Washington area code so they seem more legitimized.  This is called Caller-ID spoofing. They say they are following up on letters sent by mail and threaten arrest, home foreclosure or deportation for immigrants if they are not paid. Seniors should be aware that the IRS will never call to demand immediate payment, nor will they ask for credit card information over the phone. These scare tactics are working far too well, so education, not shaming, is needed to prevent victimization. If they receive a suspicious call, hang up and call the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging’s Fraud Hotline at 1-855-303-9470.

 

Text Messages

 

Unfortunately, text messages seem to be more trusted than email.  Scams by text are called smishing. Some criminals may only have access to the internet through their smartphone, so they will use this to target other phones as well. They may even send a link to a fraudulent site to intake your private information like a social security number so they can steal your identity.

 

Here is an example of what a text might say:

 

“IRS NOTICE: Your Tax Return is overdue! Click here to prevent penalty by law.”

 

Email Phishing

 

This term means the scammers are fishing for information through email, conning people into thinking they are someone they are not. The emails look like they have the branding of the IRS and they are leading to a legitimate website. They might request the same information that is requested by phone, but might be more prone to believe the emails to be valid with the fake IRS branding.

 

Key Takeaways:

 

Inform your loved ones of these IRS facts:

 

  • The IRS will never call to demand immediate payment.
  • They will never threaten to immediately arrest.
  • You will never be told that the taxes must be paid without the opportunity to appeal the amount owed.
  • They will never ask for payment information over the phone.

 

Data has shown that increased knowledge on scams makes a difference, so share this information with your loved ones, creating a safe place of discussion and education!

 

The Most Common Phishing Scams and How to Avoid Them

Scams

The Most Common Phishing Scams

Phishing is a common term for the unfortunate schemes hackers and online criminals use to lure users into giving their personal information. Typically disguised as familiar online activity, these scam artists have cleverly found several distinctive ways to attempt to trick YOU into handing over your private details. Be on the lookout for these common phishing scams next time you’re roaming the web!

 

  1.   Foreign Lottery Scam

With this tactic you generally receive an email informing you that you have just won the lottery of some far-away land! To obtain these exorbitant funds you simply have to send a small fee to cover the transfer cost. A simple online search will show that this thrilling lottery is no more than phony website with a long distance phone number. Typically if the sending address doesn’t look familiar, or if you have not applied to any foreign lotteries, it will be a dead giveaway that this email is just an attempt to get your information and your money.

 

  1.   Survey Scam

Do you like supporting the humane society or other animal organizations? This scam takes advantage of your online history and sends you a survey to submit your opinion on issues that matter to you. Instead of using your responses on animal treatment, this system discovers your email address, and other relative personal information, to hack your account and send out further spam emails.

 

  1.   Online Banking Scam

Most phishing schemes disguise themselves as something familiar, often as PayPal or even your personal bank. This particular scam typically indicates that some type of immediate action is needed, and your financial account is at risk. Before sending any type of reply communication, check the source of the email, and call your personal contact at the organization to see if the email is legitimate. If you question the validity of any portion of the email, delete it and call the company this con artist is attempting to masquerade as ASAP.

 

  1.   Clickbait

Social media has a hacking arena all its own. With links scattered across newsfeeds, it’s often hard to determine what is genuine and what is clickbait. Clickbait is a link generated using common controversial issues to get you to click on it. Once clicked, the link may switch to a Facebook login, where you login again. Unfortunately this false login page is a common maneuver by cyber criminals to get your social media login. Having this information, online criminals can now access your account and spam the people you are connected with.

 

If you think you’ve been a victim of an online phishing scam and your personal banking information has been compromised, call Raccoon Valley Bank. We’ll help you watch for signs of identity theft within your personal bank accounts.