Dunnan on Dollars Personal Finance Tips from Nancy Dunnan The Dirty Dozen: An IRS AlertJune 13, 2009 - Every spring, the Internal Revenue Service issues its "Dirty Dozen List" of tax scams.Several of the scams appear regularly on the list, including scams involving charities, offshore income and false claims for tax refunds.
When the 2009 list was issued, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, told the press: "Taxpayers should be wary of scams to avoid paying taxes that seem too good to be true, especially during these challenging economic times... There is no secret trick that can eliminate a person's tax obligations. People should be wary of anyone peddling any of these scams."
Phishing
A relatively new scam, phishing, is growing in popularity with con artists and is currently the number one problem. Here is the IRS' definition:
"Phishing is a tactic used by Internet-based scam artists to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing personal or financial information. The criminals use the information to steal the victim's identity, access bank accounts, run up credit card charges or apply for loans in the victim's name."
You may be involved in a phishing scam if you receive an e-mail that appears to come from the IRS. You should know that the IRS: - Never initiates unsolicited e-mail contact with taxpayers about their tax issues.
- Never requests personal information via e-mail.
- Never sends an e-mail asking for your PIN numbers, passwords, or information about your credit cards, bank accounts or any other financial accounts.
- Never sends an e-mail informing you that you're entitled to a refund.
Protecting Yourself Nancy's New Book Is Here! | Recession-Proof
Your Financial Life A Financial Survival Guide for an Economy in Free Fall. Bestselling personal-finance author Nancy Dunnan offers back-to-basics advice to ease the financial squeeze of our troubled economy. Let Nancy Dunnan see you through the worst of the recession, so you and your family can live well today and prepare for a better tomorrow. | 
Available now on: Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble |
If you see an unsolicited e-mail that claims to be from the IRS on your computer screen: - Do not reply.
- Do not open any attachments. They could contain what is known as a malicious code that will infect your computer.
- Do not click on any links.
- Immediately forward the message to phishing@irs.gov.
For more information: Go to: http://www.irs.gov/ (type "dirty dozen" in the search box.
- Nancy Dunnan
RECENT COLUMNS by Nancy Dunnan It's Never Too Late to Learn
It Pays to Scoot Around
Shopping The Garage Sales
How to Throw a Great Garage Sale
Your FICO Score and Why It's Important
Tax Rules When Selling Your Home
Recession Proof Your Travel Dollars
At Home Offices
Dining Deals
Credit Cards - Paying Off & Reducing the Rate
Car Deals and Tax Credits
COBRA Changes
Job Search Tax Deductions
Finding Forgotten Money
Lower Heating Costs
Converting IRAs to Roth: New Considerations
Financial Counseling for Military Families
Help For Seniors
Giving Gifts That Do Good
Finding Part-Time Work
Travel Deals - The Bright Side of a Downturn
FDIC Raises Bank Account Insurance
Slashing Your Grocery Bill
Picking the Right Executor
Zipping Around Town - Cars by the Hour
Collecting Social Security
If you want to suggest a column topic for Nancy, drop her a line.
|
Weekly Newsletter
printer-friendly format