We too often see, especially the elderly, being scammed or taken advantage of. This blog is to provide some tips to look out for and hopefully prevent you or a loved one from possibly losing money or giving their personal information to a stranger whom you think is there to help you.
Things to watch for:
- If someone is demanding payment immediately or saying that if you don’t act now, then you’ll miss out or legal action will occur.
- Pretending to be from an organization you know. I suggest not giving donations to any organization over the phone.
- Requesting payment by gifts cards, wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
- Making a payment to receive a prize.
- Calling from a number that appears local.
- Wanting to start up a relationship online and then asking for money.
- If the caller says they are from Social Security, Medicare, the IRS, of another government agency entity & demands payment. These agencies will not contact you via phone.
Lately, we have had clients who have paid an outside agency to file past due taxes, company will negotiate the amounts they owe & set up a payment plan. They come to find out this is a scam, and no taxes were ever filed, and the money is not going towards their tax debt at all.
Please verify the company you’re dealing with is legit and I recommend face-to-face connections for your tax dealings instead of online when you don’t personally know the company or person you are dealing with. Check out the Better Business Bureau to make sure the company is legit and doesn’t already have multiple complaints against them.
If you have any questions, please call your local tax professionals at Meadville Tax Service
814-333-2488 or Email us at info@meadvilletaxservice.com.
