BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – With tax season underway, scammers are wasting no time in trying to get your hard earned dollars.
Aggressive robocalls have been surging, with criminals impersonating the IRS and threatening arrests, lawsuits, or property liens if you don’t pay immediately.
Scam-call blocking company No-Mo-Robo reports a 400 percent spike in IRS-themed calls since January.
In the past, scammers might offer a refund or tax help. But now they’re going straight to intimidation, telling folks a criminal case is filed against them for tax evasion, and in some cases police are on the way. The goal is to scare you so you act before you think.
Joan Goodchild is a cybersecurity journalist and founder of Cybersavvy Mom. She says if you get one of these calls, hang up. Don’t press any buttons. Don’t engage with a live agent.
Instead, go directly to IRS.gov to verify official contact information.
She gives more tips on how to avoid these scams on today’s You Can Quote Me. It’s this morning at 11:30 a.m. on Channel 3.
