If all the creative power used to develop scams was directed toward solving problems like curing cancer or ending world hunger, we would be living in a utopian world by now.

But no. Scammers keep thinking up new schemes to separate seniors from their hard-earned money. What are the latest scams targeting seniors in Connecticut? And what can families do to protect elderly loved ones?

The biggest scams happening around here involve the IRS, which continues to warn the public to be alert for telephone scams. How can you recognize them? These callers claim to be with the IRS. The scammers often demand money to pay taxes. Some may try to con you by saying that you’re due a refund. The refund is a fake lure so you’ll give them your banking or other private financial information.

These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may even know a lot about you. They may alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS badge numbers. If you don’t answer, they often leave an “urgent” callback request.

The IRS respects taxpayer rights when working out payment of your taxes. So, it’s pretty easy to tell when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a sign of a scam.

The IRS does not:

• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call about taxes you owe without first mailing you several notices.
  
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the chance to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
  
• Require you to use a certain payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
  
• Ask for credit card, debit card, checking account, birth date, or Social Security numbers over the phone. The IRS already knows your Social Security number!
  
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement to have you arrested for not paying.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what to do:

• If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to talk about payment options. You also may be able to set up a payment plan online at IRS.gov.
  
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to TIGTA at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
  
• If phone scammers target you, also contact the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov. Use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” to report the scam. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.

Remember, the IRS currently does not use unsolicited email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issues. It’s important for adult children to review these points with elderly parents. Make sure they’re aware of these scams and the intimidation tactics that scammers use to scare seniors into handing over sensitive personal and banking information. It’s a talk well worth having.

For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box.

IRS YouTube Videos:

Tax Scams – English | Spanish | ASL

Source: IRS.gov