MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.
Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1359241
Tax Scams for 2021 By SecureMac.com Last year was unprecedented, to say the least, and this means that the 2021 tax season is producing some nasty surprises for taxpayers. Here are 4 newer tax scams that you should be aware of in the coming weeks: Fraudulent Refunds In some cases, scammers steal enough personal info from tax preparers to file incorrect tax returns for people. This results in an unexpected or excessive refund check or deposit. The scammers will then call their targets pretending to be from the IRS, and tell them that a “mistake” has been made and that the taxpayer needs to return the money immediately. If a victim believes the scammer and “returns” the erroneous refund, that money goes to the scammers, not to the IRS. But the government, of course, will still want to know why you filed an incorrect tax return — and they’ll want their money back too! If you get an unexpected or excessively large tax return, a scammer may have filed your taxes on your behalf — which is another way of saying identity theft. Go to the IRS website and look up the process for handling tax-related identity theft. If anyone calls you about the “error”, don’t talk to them or give them any information — it’s just the scammers looking to implement “phase 2” of their plan. Instead, go through official IRS channels to file an amended tax return and to send the money back.