Tax Day was two months ago and, while most Oregonians have paid what they owe or received their refund, that’s not stopping fraudsters from trying tax-related scams around the country.
The IRS reports that the latest variation on scammers’ fraudulent collection calls is the bogus “Federal Student Tax.” Like all phony collection calls, the caller will badger and threaten a person to try to get them to send money immediately–often via wire transfer or making a payment on an iTunes gift card or other prepaid card.
“We haven’t heard about this specific scam hitting Oregon yet,” said Ken Ross, who manages the Department of Revenue’s anti-fraud efforts. “Whether it’s this particular version or something else, we want to help Oregon taxpayers protect themselves from fraudsters throughout the year.”
What can you do to protect yourself from tax-related scams, now or in the future? Revenue has some specific advice:
* Don’t talk to callers that are badgering, threatening, or trying to make you do something immediately. If you owe taxes or other debt, call the agency to which it’s owed at their published phone number to talk about the situation.
* Revenue will only call you about money you owe after at least one notice has been sent by mail. If you receive a bill in the mail, contact Revenue as soon as you can to discuss payment.
* Check consumer protection resources, like the Department of Justice’s webpage at www.doj.state.or.us/consumer and the IRS’ scam tracker at www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts, so you’re aware of the types of scams happening and can better detect a scam if you become a target.
You can always review your state tax account through Revenue Online, a secure portal available at www.oregon.gov/dor.
Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax information, check the status of your refund, or make payments. You can also email questions.dor@oregon.gov; call 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon; or call, toll-free 800-356-4222.
