>>> HERES A QUESTION FOR YOU -- ARE THIEVES TRYING TO STEAL YOUR
MONEY, AS WE GET READY FOR TAX
TIME?
THE IRS IS WARNING ABOUT SCAMMERS TRYING TO GET THEIR
HANDS ON YOUR HARD-EARNED CASH.
"TODAY" CORRESPONDENT JEFF
ROSSEN STEPPED BY TO GIVE US SOME TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID US
SOME TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID GETTING FLEECED.
GETTING FLEECED. JEFF, GOOD MORNING.
>> THEYRE OUT THERE.
EVERY YEAR THEYRE OUT THERE.
AND THE IRS SEEING AN UPTICK AROUND TAX SEASON, WHICH ISK
AROUND TAX SEASON, WHICH IS AROUND NOW.
AROUND NOW. APRIL 17th, ITS COMING.
>> I LOVE THE FIRST ONE BECAUSE
IVE HAD SO MANY OF THESE.
HAVE YOU HAD THE WEIRD PHONE CALL?YOU HAD THE WEIRD PHONE
CALL? LIKE, THE EMERGENCY PHONE CALL
THATS TRYING TO GET YOU TO DO
SOMETHING THAT SECOND?
>> I BROUGHT SOME PHONE CALLS BECAUSE THERES SPECIFIC THINGS
IN THESE CALLS THAT ARE RED
FLAGS.
FLAGS.
YOU KNOW ITS A SCAM ARTIST AND ITS NOT THE IRS.CAM ARTIST AND
ITS NOT THE IRS. LETS PLAY CALL NUMBER ONE.
>> THE NEXT NUMBER, WERE GOING
TO SEND A LEGAL TEAM WITH THE
SHERIFFS COUNTY OFFICES.
THEYRE GOING TO PUT YOU INTO
CUSTODY.
>> YEAH.
PUT YOU INTO CUSTODY.
IVE HAD THAT ONE.
>> THE IRS, EVEN IF YOU OWE THEM MONEY, SAY YOURE THE WORST TAXEM
MONEY, SAY YOURE THE WORST TAX CHEAT EVER, THEY ARE NOT GOING
TO CALL YOU UP ON THE PHONE AND
MAKE THREATS TO ARREST YOU.
SO, EVEN IF YOU OWE THEM ALL
THIS MONEY, THERES GOING TO BE
A PAYMENT PLAN FIGURED OUT.
THEYRE ON TOP OF THAT, THEYRE ENTIRELY NOT GOING TO CALL YOU
FIRST ON THE PHONE.
THEY ALWAYS GENERALLY CONTACT
YOU BY MAIL.
FIRST.
FIRST.
>> OKAY.
>> AGAIN, EVEN IF YOU OWE THEM MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THEYREHEM
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THEYRE GOING TO SEND YOU A LETTER.
THEYRE NOT GOING TO CALL YOU.
>> THOSE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO
RETURN THE PHONE CALL TO GIVE
YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION.
>> I WANT YOU TO PAY.
THAT LEADS US TO PHONE CALL
NUMBER TWO.
NUMBER TWO.
TAKE A LISTEN TO THIS.
>> YOU KNOW ABOUT MONEYGRAM? >> NO. KNOW ABOUT MONEYGRAM?
>> NO. WHATS A MONEYGRAM?
>> MONEYGRAM IS A VERY EASY
PROCESS.
PROCESS.
THIS SEEMS OBVIOUS.
WERE HERE IN THIS CONTROLLED
ENVIRONMENT AND SAY, I WOULDNT
FALL FOR THAT.
BUT PEOPLE FALL FOR THIS EVERY
YEAR.
TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PAID
TO THESE CROOKS BECAUSE THEY GET
YOU ON THE PHONE.
ESPECIALLY FOR THE ELDERLY,
PEOPLE WHO ARE POSSIBLY, EASILY RATTLED.HO ARE POSSIBLY, EASILY
RATTLED.
YOU ACTUALLY THINK ITS REAL.
AND THEY REALLY WORK YOU INTO A
LATHER.
THEY SOUND REAL.
THEY SAY THEYRE FROM THE IRS.
THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE
POLICE.
BUT GOOD NEWS, IF YOU PAY ME
RIGHT NOW, VIA MONEYGRAM, VIA
CREDIT CARD, IT WILL BE OKAY AND
IT WILL GO AWAY.
THE IRS IS NOT GOING TO ASK YOU. IM TALKING TO YOU AT HOME.K YOU.
IM TALKING TO YOU AT HOME. THE IRS IS NOT GOING THE ASK YOU
TO PAY RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU OWE THEM ALL THIS MONEY,
THEYRE GOING TO WORK OUT A
PAYMENT PLAN WITH YOU.
AND THEYRE NOT GOING TO ASK YOU
TO PAY IN WEIRD WAYS, LIKE A
MONEYGRAM.
MONEYGRAM.
>> THE POLICE WILL LEAVE YOU A VOICEMAIL AND SAY, TURN YOURSELF
IN.
IN.
>> IF YOU GET A PHONE CALL, IF
YOU HAVENT HEARD FROM THE IRS, YOULL HEAR VIA MAIL FIRST.IRS,
YOULL HEAR VIA MAIL FIRST.
>> NEVER RESPOND TO ONE OF THESE
THINGS NOW.
>> THERES ANOTHER SCAM GOING
AROUND RIGHT NOW.
THE IRS HAS JUST PUT OUT URGENT
WARNINGS ABOUT THIS.
THEY WANT CPAs AND TAX
PROFESSIONALS, THE PACKS PRETAX PREPARERS, HACKERS ARE TARGETING
THEM.
THEM.
THE HACKERS HAVE FIGURED OUT,
WHY WOULD I HACK MEGYN KELLYS INFORMATION?HACK MEGYN KELLYS
INFORMATION?
I CAN GO TO YOUR CPA WHO IS HANDLING THOUSANDS AT ONCE.
AND OFTEN TIMES, CPA COMPUTER
SYSTEMS, THAT WE HAVE FOUND IN
OUR REPORTING, ARE
UNDERPROTECTED.
UNDERPROTECTED.
>> THIS IS TERRIFYING. >> ITS TERRIFYING.ING.
>> ITS TERRIFYING. THEY HAVE EASY WAYS TO GET INTO
THE SYSTEMS.
THE SYSTEMS.
THIS IS SO BAD NOW, THAT CPA
FIRMS ARE NOW HIRING CYBER SECURITY EXPERTS TO HACK THEIR
SYSTEMS TO EXPOSE
VULNERABILITIES.
VULNERABILITIES. WE LINKED UP WITH THE EXPERTS.
AND HE HACKED INTO CPA FIRM
AFTER CPA FIRM.
>> YOU HAVE TO GIVE INFORMATION
TO YOUR TAX GUY.
>> THIS IS FOR THE CPAs OUT
THERE.
THERE.
YOU WANT TO INCRYPT ALL CLIENT
DATA.
IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE ENCRYPTED. IF YOURE A TAX PROFESSIONAL, IF
YOU WORK AT A CPA FIRM, MAKE
SURE THE WI-FI NETWORK IS
PASSWORD PROTECTED.
PASSWORD PROTECTED. AND IF YOU SENSE THERES BEEN A
DATA BREACH, THEY WANT TAX
PREPARERS TO CALL THE IRS
IMMEDIATELY TO REPORT A BREACH.
>> IF YOU GO TO A FIRM, I DONT
WANT TO MENTION ANYBODY IN
PARTICULAR, BUT RHYMES WITH H&R
LOCK, YOUR STUFF WILL BE SAFE.
>> THATS A BIG COMPANY.
IM SURE THEY HAVE THE
PROTECTIONS IN PLACE.
BUT ITS THE SMALLER FIRMS THAT
A LOT OF US GO TO AND THE
ACCOUNTANTS WHO DO THIS.
YOU WANT TO GO TO THEM RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
YOU SHOULD CALL YOUR ACCOUNTANT TODAY AND SAY TELL ME ABOUT THE
PROTECTIONS YOURE TAKING.
>> WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE
SCAM CALLS.
SCAM CALLS. SHOULD WE BE REPORTING THOSE TO
THE POLICE.
THE POLICE. >> YOU SHOULD CALL THE IRS, AS
WELL.
WELL. 1-800-829-1040.
1-800-829-1040. YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT 1040s EVERY
YEAR.
YEAR.
>> YOU HAVE THE SCAM PHONE CALLS
AND THE BREACH AT THE TAX
PREPARERS OFFICE.
>> AND IF YOURE MAILING YOUR
TAXES IN THE SNAIL MAIL, WHICH PEOPLE STILL DO, LOCAL POLICEH
PEOPLE STILL DO, LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE PUTTING THIS
ALERT
ALERT ALERT, THIEVES ARE CHECKING
PEOPLES MAILBOXES, ESPECIALLY
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. ESPECIALLY IN THE HEART OF TAX
TIME, TO SEE IF THEYRE MAILING
RETURNS TO THE IRS AND TAKING
THEM OUT OF MAILBOXES.
>> THATS A FEDERAL CRIME.
>> THEYRE SEEING THE FLAG ON
THE MAILBOX.
THE MAILBOX. THEY ARE CHECKING TO SEE IF YOUR
TAX INFORMATION IS OUT THERE.
THATS A TREASURE TROVE OF
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION.
THINK WHAT IS ON YOUR TAX FORM.
KIDS NAMES, SOCIAL SECURITY
INFORMATION.
>> THATS KILLCHILLING.
>> BRING THAT TO THE POST OFFICE.G THAT TO THE POST
OFFICE.
DONT STICK THE IRS FORMS IN THE MAIL.STICK THE IRS FORMS IN THE
MAIL.
>> HOW ABOUT THE BIG BLUE DROP
BOXES.
>> THOSE ARE SAFER. >> NO ONE CAN GO IN THERE.
>> YOU CAN DUMPSTER DIVE.
>> DO NOT MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM.
>> JEFF ROSSEN, THANK YOU.