ROANOKE, Va. – Tax filing season is here but so are scammers looking to take your money.
With fewer IRS workers and more tax advisers encouraging people to file online, the region’s Better Business Bureau is on high alert.
President and CEO Julie Wheeler said do not click on social media links to file. Rather, use reputable tax preparers or go directly to the IRS website to use their free online tool.
She also suggests that you file early to avoid a scammer from stealing your social security number and claiming your refund check.
“The IRS does provide you a pin,” she said. “And that pin is a six-digit number and you cannot change it. Once you have that pin, you need to keep up with it because year after year you will be using that. And that’s to prevent people other than you from filing your return.”
If a tax preparer said their fee is based on your tax refund amount, Wheeler said that’s a big red flag that the preparer may be a scammer.
Wheeler said it’s also common to get phone calls where a scammer will threaten police activity if you don’t give up banking information.
Avoid giving out personal information and don’t agree to pay fake tax penalties by buying a gift card.