With tax filing season in full swing, the Minnesota Department of Revenue is reminding Minnesotans to be aware of scammers who use tax time as an opportunity to try to steal the identities, tax refunds, and other personal information from Minnesota taxpayers.
“With millions of Minnesotans filing their taxes before the deadline, tax season is a prime opening for scammers and identity thieves to strike,” said Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart. “Identity theft and scams are preventable—stay informed, verify before you trust, and always safeguard your personal information.”
Below are a few common types of scams and what taxpayers can do to avoid becoming a victim.
Suspicious e-mails
Scammers use an email tactic referred to as phishing (as in “fishing for information” and “hooking” victims). This is a scam involving the distribution of emails to trick taxpayers into revealing personal and financial information which can be used to steal their identity. These emails can look legitimate with official looking headers and graphics, and they often ask the recipient to update information or take some type of immediate action.
If you receive a suspicious email, do not click the provided link(s) or reply to the message.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has information on its website on how to report suspicious emails.
Text messages
Text messaging has become an important way in which government agencies communicate with the public. Unfortunately, text scammers are very aware of that fact and have started impersonating government agencies to try to trick recipients into providing personal or financial information. Like scam emails, these texts often aim to produce a sense of urgency by telling recipients they must act soon to make a payment, lose out on refunds, or threaten to have law enforcement sent to their homes.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue does not send unsolicited text messages. Any text message from the department is informational only or as requested for two-factor identification for e-Services. Texts from the department will not ask you to click a link to make a payment or claim a refund. The department will never threaten to send law enforcement to your home.
If you receive a suspicious text, do not click the provided link(s) or reply to the message. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has information on its website on how to report suspicious texts.
Phone calls
For years, scammers have been calling taxpayers across the country to try to trick them into providing personal or financial information by posing as IRS or state revenue department officials. If you are concerned about a potentially fraudulent contact by an individual or an organization representing themselves as being from the Minnesota Department of Revenue, please call 651-296-3781 or 1-800-652-9094. An authorized staff member will be able to determine if the contact you received was legitimate.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue will never call you to notify you about an unclaimed refund, demand immediate payment over the phone, or threaten to arrest you.
For more information on tax refund fraud and information about the signs of identity theft and what to do if you’re a victim, visit the Minnesota Department of Revenue website.
Share your scam story
Local law enforcement officials are concerned about the impact of scams on area residents, particularly the elderly.
Consequently, this newspaper works with police and sheriff’s departments to keep residents updated on schemes. Scam Alerts will appear in future editions as often as possible.
If you have been the target of a scam, feel free to contact us with details (we can keep your name confidential). Send your story to joela@windomnews.com, or call 507-831-3455. By sharing, you could prevent someone from being scammed.
Watch for scam updates on Thursdays at www.windomnews.com.
