SAUGUS — With tax season now underway, the Saugus Police Department is warning residents to be careful with personal and financial information while filing to avoid falling victim to common scams.
“Tax season is often littered with scams and fraudulent claims from individuals that do not represent the IRS,” Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli said. “Making sure our residents know about prevention strategies and scam warning signs is of the utmost importance to us, especially this time of year.”
In one of the most recent scams, Ricciardelli said a party posing as an IRS agent states that a small fee is required in order to qualify for a government stimulus check, while another common one involves residents trying to file their taxes electronically, only to learn they’ve been submitted by another entity.
To combat the problem, residents are encouraged to complete and file their taxes as soon as possible to give scammers less time and opportunity to submit a refund using their information.
Other scams the department is warning against include scammers calling residents claiming to be from the IRS or another government body.
Ricciardelli said the scammer informs victims they either did not pay or incorrectly filed their taxes and now owe money to the IRS, which must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer.
If victims refuse to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation, or suspension of a business or driver’s license. Ricciardelli said scammers also sometimes claim to represent the victim’s local police department, but he emphasized local police do not enforce federal tax laws in any capacity.
To avoid becoming a victim of an IRS scam, Saugus Police are encouraging residents to remember the following:
- The IRS will contact parties that owe back taxes by mail, not by phone, email, or social media.
- The IRS never requests personal or financial information by email, text, or social media.
- The IRS does not leave pre-recorded or urgent voicemails.
- The IRS will not ask for payment using a prepaid debit card, gift cards, money order, or wire transfer.
- The IRS will not ask for a credit card number over the phone.
Residents who receive a call from someone posing as an IRS agent are encouraged to hang up and not engage with the callers.
Calls from parties posing as IRS agents asking for payment should be reported to the IRS at 800-829-1040.
Those unsure about potential scams are asked to call the Saugus Police Department at 781-941-1199.
