How to protect yourself from scammers after your tax refund

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- It is tax filing season which means scam time. Your tax refund and personal information are the targets of scammers. You need to be prepared for scam calls, text messages, and emails as scammers impersonate the IRS trying to steal your personal information and your money. Their goal is to get access to your identity to try and steal your refund or take out loans and open credit cards in your name. Besides the scam text messages, calls, and emails, scammers may even show up at your door.

Luis Garcia with the IRS says, "They use every avenue they can to approach you and to look like a legitimate contact from the IRS. Sometimes they'll put up websites that are an exact replica of the IRS website." Garcia says the agency does not use social media, or text message to contact you. Nor will the IRS demand immediate payment without giving you the chance to question or appeal the amount owed.
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"If the IRS is coming knocking at your door and saying, 'hey, you owe money.' You have absolutely all the rights in the world to say for what, show me where, show me how, and we have to take the time, which is your right, and our duty to let you know, this is what you owe, and why you owe it and these scammers don't do that," Garcia added.
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We can't stress enough that you should not be afraid to hang up the phone no matter how threatening the call is. If you're ever asked to pay with gift cards, cash app, Venmo, wire money, or send cash in the mail these are all sure signs it's a scammer you're not talking to and not the IRS.