BBB Tip: Keep Your Tax Information Secure
Milwaukee, Wis. – It’s National Tax Security Awareness Week! The Better Business Bureau has some suggestions for consumers and business owners for keeping their tax information secure and avoiding tax-related scams.
In 2017, BBB processed approximately 2,400 complaints against tax return preparation services and related businesses (including accountants preparing tax returns). For those complaints, the median disputed amount for which consumers sought BBB’s help was $500.
Tax-related scams are even more prevalent. In 2017, BBB received approximately 3,500 reports to BBB Scam Tracker from consumers regarding con artists claiming to be with the IRS. This comprised nearly 7% of all Scam Tracker reports received in 2017. The scams tend to rely on tactics such as intimidation (such as threats of arrest), isolation (to keep victims from talking to their family members about the supposed tax issue), and/or pressure to act quickly. Tax collection scams often employ all three to bully their targets into compliance.
BBB has been cooperating with the IRS by providing the agency with phone numbers reported from consumers to BBB Scam Tracker. Any law enforcement agency can request additional information from Scam Tracker and we are always willing to work with them to help stop this fraud.
Here are some ways consumers and business owners can combat tax fraud:
- Only deal with trustworthy tax preparation services. Check BBB.org for the latest Business Profile before you engage a company for the first time.
- Protect personally identifiable information (PII) such as birth date, Social Security numbers, bank accounts, etc.
- Check out websites carefully and make sure you are accessing the real IRS website (irs.gov) when filing your taxes electronically or inquiring for additional information.
- If you get tax information delivered electronically from your employer or other entity, treat that information carefully. Download it onto a password-protected computer. Understand how tax scams work and be on guard for “red flags” such as calls before you’ve received any kind of letter from the Internal Revenue Service, Canadian Revenue Agency, or other tax authority, demands for immediate payment, threats or intimidation, or payment requests via wire transfer, prepaid debit card, or gift card. Check out this BBB Scam Tip for more information: BBB.org/TaxScams.
BBB Resources
File a complaint against a business at BBB.org/Complain
File a scam report about a fraud (even if you lost no money) at BBB.org/ScamTracker
Learn more about avoiding scams at BBB.org/AvoidScams
For an online version click here
For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2018, people turned to BBB more than 173 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Wisconsin which was founded in 1939 and serves the state of Wisconsin.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Wisconsin Better Business Bureau
