Illinois Comptroller offers tips to avoid scams for tax season

Danny Connolly
·3 min read

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Monday is the first day of tax season, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is warning Illinois residents to be vigilant of scammers.

Some common scams are disguised to look like official communication from the Internal Revenue Service to steal personal information from taxpayers’ documents.

“Just like throughout the year, you should take precautions to safeguard your personal information when it comes to tax documents,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “Scammers often use scare tactics to try and get taxpayers to hand over private information and money.”

Some of the common

Several current scams aim to look like official communication from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  They include:

  • Receiving a cardboard envelope in the mail with a note on IRS letterhead, stating “about your unclaimed refund.” The letter will likely include contact information and a phone number that does not belong to the IRS, and request you provide sketchy “filing” information such as a photo of your driver’s license, Social Security number, and other personal information. The IRS says the letter may be poorly worded and include different fonts.

  • IRS telephone scams, where impersonators commonly target recent immigrants and those with limited English proficiency. The con artist will call and threaten arrest or deportation if payment is not made in the form of a gift card or wire transfer. If you truly owe money, the IRS will first mail you a bill.

  • False claims for unemployment compensation. The IRS urges taxpayers to be on the lookout for criminals seeking to steal their identities to file fraudulent claims for unemployment compensation. Since unemployment benefits are a taxable form of income, the state will send constituents a 1099-G form, also known as Certain Government Payments form if an unemployment claim has been made under your name. If you did not apply for unemployment or received the compensation, visit the Illinois Department of Employment Services (IDES) to report the fraud.

  • Phishing and Malware Scams. Here, con artists will again use the IRS logo and send email or text messages to taxpayers asking for their personal and financial information. Some messages will also send you to a link that contains a malware virus that will enable scammers to access your information. One specific scam targets college students and faculty with .edu email addresses, asking them to fill out a form with all of their personal information. Unsolicited emails from IRS impersonators should be reported to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

“Remember, neither the state nor the federal government will call taxpayers, threatening them and demanding payment via a wire transfer, or credit or debit card,” the comptroller said.  “That’s a sure sign of a scam.”

Mendoza also warns of ‘ghost’ tax return preparers who do not sign the tax return. If they don’s sign, preparers can overpromise the size of the refund, charge you or deposit funds to their own bank account, she said.

If the IRS contacts someone telling them their social security number was compromised, Mendoza recommends filing a report on the Illinois Attorney General’s website, then requesting fraud alert protection from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion and finally contacting any banking institution to close any accounts opened without consent.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.