by the Journal-Opinion
The IRS yesterday issued a warning about the rising threat of impersonation scams, targeting older adults by pretending to be government officials, aiming to steal sensitive personal information and money.
- These scammers, per an IRS news release, deploy advanced techniques to fabricate a veneer of credibility, including the manipulation of caller IDs to appear legitimate. Here are just a few examples of their schemes:
- Impersonation of known entities: Fraudsters often pose as representatives from government agencies — including the IRS, Social Security Administration and Medicare — others in the tax community or familiar businesses and charities. By spoofing caller IDs, scammers can deceive victims into believing they are receiving legitimate communications.
- Claims of problems or prizes: Scammers frequently fabricate urgent scenarios, such as outstanding debts or promises of significant prize winnings. Victims may be falsely informed that they owe the IRS money, are owed a tax refund, need to verify accounts or must pay fees to claim non-existent lottery winnings.
- Pressure for immediate action: These deceitful actors create a sense of urgency, demanding that victims take immediate action without allowing time for reflection. Common tactics include threats of arrest, deportation, license suspension or computer viruses to coerce quick compliance.
- Specified payment methods: To complicate traceability, scammers insist on unconventional payment methods, including cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps or gift cards, and often require victims to provide sensitive information like gift card numbers.
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