Fairfield Police Warn Of Tax Scams

FAIRFIELD, CT — With tax season underway, Fairfield police are offering tips to help residents avoid falling victim to common scams.

“We would like to reiterate the importance of residents taking their time and diligence while completing their tax returns this season,” Chief Robert Kalamaras said in a police department news release. “All residents should verify any electronic form they may be using and are suggested to only use reputable businesses to avoid falling victim to a tax scam.”

One common scam involves residents trying to file their taxes electronically, only to learn their taxes have already been submitted by another entity, according to police, who encourage residents to file taxes as soon as possible to give potential scammers less time to submit a refund using their information.

Other tax season scams include scammers calling residents claiming to be from the IRS or another government body, police said. The scammer will inform victims that they did not pay or incorrectly filed their taxes and now owe money to the IRS, which must be paid through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If victims refuse to cooperate, they are threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license.

Scammers also sometimes claim to represent the victim’s local police department. Local police do not enforce federal tax laws in any capacity.

In the latest scam, an “IRS agent” states that a small fee is required to qualify for a government stimulus check. No government agency, including the IRS, requires anyone to pay anything to receive a stimulus payment, according to police.

To avoid becoming a victim of an IRS scam, residents should remember the following:

• If you owe back taxes, the IRS will contact you by mail, and not by phone, email or social media.
• The IRS never requests personal or financial information by email, text or social media.
• The IRS does not leave prerecorded or urgent voicemails.
• The IRS will not ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card, gift cards, a money order or a wire transfer.
• The IRS will not ask for a credit card number over the phone.

"If you receive a call from an IRS scammer, hang up," police said in the news release. "Do not engage with these callers."

If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment, or if you think you may owe money, hang up and call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. If you get a scam call and do not owe taxes, fill out the “IRS impersonation scam” form online at treasury.gov, or call the treasury inspector general for tax administration at 800-366-4484.

The IRS also advises residents to forward scam emails to phishing@irs.gov, and to not open attachments or click on links in those emails.

If you are ever unsure about a potential scam, contact the Fairfield Police Department at 203-254-4800.