It’s that time again—April. Those good old April showers bring May flowers. The days get a little warmer. The birds start to sing. And, yes, even the tax man starts to sing, “My turn, my turn.” The trouble is, the tax man who is singing may not be for real. Each year, the IRS publishes its “Dirty Dozen” tax scams. Well, this year, I’m starting “McKenna’s Terrible Three.” So, here we go.
In first place on the McKenna’s Terrible Three list are the scammers who take the personal approach and make threatening phone calls, promising to have you thrown in jail unless you pay your taxes in GreenDot Money Paks. Seriously? Money Paks? Most of us would say, who would fall for that? Yet, people do. In that moment of panic, their brain stops working and fear runs the show. I’m pretty sure the IRS would prefer to be paid with a check or, better yet, an electronic funds transfer.
Second place on the list goes to those who prefer efficiency. These are the guys who send out those emails demanding you click links or you will face dire consequences. The links, of course, go to sites where you might pick up some fancy little malware or a virus. My advice? The only thing you want to click is the delete key to send that email into the trash.
How about free money from the IRS? You’ve got to be kidding me, right? People are going to fall for this? But, yes, they do. So, let’s be clear. People! The IRS is charged with collecting taxes, not running contests.
Okay, that ought to cover it. If you fall for one of these scams after this warning, Bob over at the IRS is definitely not going to forgive your taxes just because you didn’t pay attention. Don’t believe me? Call him up and ask.
