State Comptroller warns of tax scams as filing period begins

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Tax season has arrived in Illinois, and so have con artists and scammers.

State Comptroller Susana Mendoza issued a warning on Friday for taxpayers to be cautious as the filing period kicks off.

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

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Mendoza’s warning included several scams as examples of what to look out for and explanations of what each scam includes:

• Cardboard envelopes in the mail with a note on IRS letterhead

  • Letters will talk about “your unclaimed refund” and likely include a phone number (which does not belong to the IRS)

  • Letters will request information such as a photo of a driver’s license, Social Security number and other personal information

  • The IRS said the letters may be poorly worded and include different fonts

• Phone scams from people impersonating IRS agents

  • Scammers will threaten arrest or deportation if payment is not made in the form of a gift card or wire transfer

  • Targets are usually recent immigrants or people with limited proficiency in English

  • The IRS will first mail a bill if someone truly owes money

• False claims for unemployment compensation

  • Be on the lookout for a 1099-G form, which is sent to people who make an unemployment claim. If you did not apply for unemployment or receive the compensation, visit the Illinois Department of Employment Services (IDES) to report the fraud.

• Phishing emails and malware scams

  • Scammers will send emails with the IRS logo and with requests for personal and financial information.

  • Some emails may contain a malware virus enabling scammers to access one’s information.

  • One specific scam targets college students and faculty with .edu email addresses.

  • Unsolicited emails from IRS impersonators should be reported to the IRS by emailing phishing@irs.gov

• “Ghost” tax return preparers

  • Ghost preparers are people who do not sign the tax return they’ve prepared.

  • Failure to sign means the preparer may have overpromised a large refund, charge you based on the size of the refund, or send the funds to their own bank account instead of the taxpayer

“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,” Mendoza said. “That’s a sure sign of a scam.”

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Mendoza also provided information about what to do in the event a Social Security number is compromised:

1. File a report with the Illinois Attorney General

2. Request Fraud Alert protection from one of three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion

3. Contact your financial institution and close any accounts that were opened without your consent

Aside from the warnings of tax scams and social security number compromise, Mendoza also provided a way to check on the status of one’s tax return: Find My Refund on the State Comptroller’s website.

The deadline to file income taxes is April 15.

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