Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press
Home improvement scams begin in earnest during March. Beware of “pop-up” contractors offering great deals on driveway paving, siding installation or general contractor work. Typically, the perpetrator appears at your door making a fantastic offer on the price of the repair work. The scenario: “I happened to be in the area working on a job, and we overestimated the amount of material necessary. Rather than drive home with the products, I’m willing to offer you a great deal, so I can break even.”
The offer is made under a sense of urgency: You need to decide right now. “Cold call” offers such as this should raise a red flag. Don’t jump on the offer, as that is exactly what the criminal wants. Take your time to decide. Ask the “contractor” for local references and request a copy of proof of insurance. Hesitation on the part of the contractor or renewed pressure to act screams “refuse the offer.” Accepting the deal and making payment with cash or check can be problematic. While it might be worth little in the long run, at least demand a written contract and conduct a check of the address and contact information.
Heading to college or graduating from college? Pin a bull’s eye on your back for scammers. “Special” debt relief offers, apartment rentals or fraudulent offers of employment can drain your bank account, leaving you empty-handed. As always, beware of offers appearing “too good to be true,” and don’t let emotion dictate behavior.
Take time and conduct a general browser search of the company making the offer (include the word “rating” or “review”), and don’t be afraid to make phone calls using verifiable numbers. You might also receive a letter, email or phone call, announcing your selection to a “Who’s Who” directory. While some are legitimate, many are scams and impersonations.
These programs ask for details of your personal life, education and employment, items easily used to commit fraud and conduct identity theft. In practically all situations, nominees are asked to purchase a copy of the book with the listing that is created. Don’t allow ego to cloud judgement. Ask people you respect if they know anyone who benefitted from this honor. The answers might surprise you.
This spring, the number of social media scams on Facebook, Instagram and others continues to rise. Aside from fraudulent relationship-building, many of the reported scams involve pop-up advertisements of major discounts for products marketed by premium brands, such as L.L. Bean. Links take victims to fraudulent websites, where they place orders using credit cards. No products arrive, and charges for unauthorized purchases appear on statements.
Reports I have received note that the social media companies are less than cooperative in resolving the problem, and bogus advertisements continue to appear on the websites. Luckily, credit card purchases can be challenged, but the better approach is verify the offer with the legitimate company prior to ordering. If you are a victim, report the scam to the FBI at IC3.gov.
It’s tax time regardless of which state you call home: the tax man cometh.
As in past years, criminals see this annual ritual as an opportunity combining emotion, anxiety, fear, anger (or at least dissatisfaction) and a sense of civic duty. Tax scams appear in email messages linked to phony websites and intrude as urgent phone calls or text messages. They alert us to tax payment, refund, or taxpayer record issues.
Regardless of the delivery method, the message commonality is urgency and the issues are somewhat similar: a problem with your taxpayer account, failure to pay your entire tax bill, unauthorized access to your tax records, or a tax refund in jeopardy. Frequently, the recipient is anxious, frightened, angry, or concerned and falls under what the scammer refers to as “The Ether,” a heightened sense of anxiety. Often, the message includes a threat of fines or imprisonment, thus adding a strong element of fear.
Emotion is the taxpayer’s enemy and the criminal’s ally. Avoiding the “Ether” requires the intended victim to maintain or restore rationality, logic and reason. Step back, take a deep breath, think out the situation, and don’t succumb to the sense of urgency that is conveyed by the criminal. The IRS and state tax authorities do not threaten. Typically, a message from the IRS does not give people a warm fuzzy feeling but their effort is to resolve an issue, often the result of an innocent filing error.
Tax agencies will not call or send emails about a problem. They send explanatory letters (USPS) and ask that you contact them within a reasonable amount of time to resolve the issue. If you are the recipient of a scam tax notice, that likely conveys urgency and/or threats, report it to your state tax agency and the IRS. Internet scams can also be reported to the FBI at IC3.gov. Record and share critical information such as phone numbers, email addresses and websites.
Another sad reality of IRS scams involves tax refunds. Many, particularly late filers, are finding that someone has already accessed their tax records and received tax refunds. This is possible because the data necessary to commit fraud is readily available on the internet. Monitor your tax records by registering for online access to your IRS account at irs.gov and report any irregularities. Tax season is painful enough. Don’t increase the misery by falling to scammers.
Elliott Greenblott is a retired educator and the Vermont coordinator of the AARP Fraud Watch Network. He produces a feature CATV program, “Mr. Scammer,” distributed by GNAT-TV in Sunderland, Vt. More information can be found at gnat-tv.org. Questions, concerns? Contact Elliott at [email protected].
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