Tax season has officially started which means scammers are on the prowl to steal people's personal information.
The Better Business Bureau has received more than 48,000 reports of IRS scam's nationwide.
And, last year around 4,000 Texans were targeted and lost almost $30,000.00 due to this scam. That's why BBB is warning people about the scam that they labeled one of worst in 2016.
It involves scammers calling taxpayers, pretending to be IRS agents.
To avoid becoming a victim the agency is urging people to learn what signs to look for.
First look out for caller I-D spoofing: This happens when the caller changes their number to look like the IRS. They also might give you a badge number and know the last four digits of your social security number.
Protect your personal information: Do not provide any account numbers, debit cards or financial information over the phone.
Don't be bullied: If callers threaten you or use hostility to get you to pay this should raise a red flag.
Hang up: And consider joining the do not call list for telemarketers. This will help limit the amount of telemarketer calls you receive and could help identify if there are any fraudulent calls.
Lastly, if you do receive calls report it to the Better Business Bureau scam tracker. Write down the name and number of the caller and any other details gathered during the call.
If you're unsure the call is real contact the IRS directly at WWW.IRS.GOV , Or call them at 1-800-829-1040.
Experts said the IRS does not contact people by phone asking for any form of immediate payments they only contact people by mail.
Copyright 2017 KXXV. All rights reserved.
