A Free Public Service

February 23, 2025

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inavtive attorney in San Mateo County, California, USA.

TAX FILING SCAM

Attribution: US FTC.gov

If you’re filing your taxes online this year, watch for signs of tax identity theft, like someone using your Social Security number (SSN) to file and claim a tax refund.

One way you’ll know is if the IRS rejects your tax return once you file. Learn to protect yourself while filing online and what to do if someone steals your tax refund.

If you use tax preparation software like TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, or TaxSlayer, protect your accounts by using two-factor authentication. Requiring two or more credentials to log in makes it harder for scammers to get into your account, even if they get your username and password. And always file early, if you can — before anyone else files using your personal information.

But even if you’re careful, someone might still use your SSN to steal your refund. Now, if the IRS rejects the tax return you submitted online or through a tax preparer, it could just mean missing or incorrect information. But if the IRS says there’s more than one tax return filed in your name or they see income from an employer you know you don’t work for, that’s identity theft. Don’t panic — but do act quickly to communicate with the IRS. Here’s how:

Report it to IdentityTheft.gov using as many details as possible. The site will create an FTC Identity Theft Report, an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit, and a personal recovery plan.

Submit your IRS Identity Theft Affidavit through IdentityTheft.gov. This tells the IRS to begin investigating your case. Or get the Identity Theft Affidavit (IRS Form 14039) and submit it by mail.

Follow the steps in your personal recovery plan — like freezing your credit and checking your credit reports — to limit the damage identity theft causes.

Share IdentityTheft.gov/Steps with friends and loved ones to help them protect their personal information and stay ahead of identity thieves.

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Attribution: scambusters.org

A Free Public Service

February 18, 2025

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California, USA.

It sounds hard to believe but an estimated 100,000 people have willingly given away their usernames and passwords in an Instagram scam.

Instagram is one of the big players in the latest craze for image-sharing social networking sites.

It’s believed owned by Facebook and has more than 150 million members, many of whom use it to legitimately share family, fun and friendship photos.

It’s also used legitimately by many celebrities and businesses to visually promote themselves.

Often, Instagram photos are cross-shared via other networks, like Facebook and Twitter.

And, just like most social networking sites, it relies on “likes” and other actions to spread connections, which makes it another ready-made target for scammers.

Internet security company Symantec reported two big Instagram scams towards the end of 2013.

In the first, an app that was available on most smartphones and other mobile devices promised to get users lots more followers.

In return, they had to provide their Instagram sign-on details, which, when you think about it, then gave the app maker the ability to log on to victims’ accounts and use them to fulfill its offer of following others — and do whatever else they wanted!

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A Free Public Service

February 15, 2025

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California, USA.

LOVE SCAMS 

Attribution: US FTC.gov

Thinking of trying your luck with an online dating app, or getting to know someone you’ve met on social media? Before you do, make sure you know how to spot a romance scammer.

Here’s a typical romance scam: You meet someone on a site or app, and they want to move the conversation off the platform. You might talk or chat several times a day. But they can’t meet up. They might say they live far away, maybe for work or because they’re in the military. Eventually, they start asking for money — maybe for a plane ticket to visit you or emergency surgery. Or they might say they can help you invest your money in cryptocurrency or the stock market. It’s all a scam to get your money.

Never send money or gifts to a love interest you haven’t met in person. If you suspect a romance scam:

Talk to someone you trust. Do your friends or family say they’re concerned about your new love interest?

Search online for the type of job the person has plus the word “scammer.” Have other people posted similar stories?

Do a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture. Is it associated with another name or with details that don’t match up?

Also notify the app or site where you met the scammer.

If you paid a scammer, your money might be gone. No matter how you paid, it’s always worth asking the company you used to send the money if there’s a way to get it back. Read What To Do if You Were Scammed to learn more.

Tell the FTC about romance scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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