Our practice area of law centers around the aging population, who are often very vulnerable and likely to be targeted by scammers. As a result, we often get calls about identity theft, Ponzi schemes, and, lately, “pandemic” scammers.
Every year, the IRS announces its “Dirty Dozen,” which is the list of the most popular scams for the year. Many of the scams name the IRS as the source of the personal information requested. According to IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, “Tax scams tend to rise during tax season or during times of crisis, and scam artists are using the pandemic to try stealing money and information from honest taxpayers. The IRS provides the “Dirty Dozen” list to help raise awareness about common scams that fraudsters use to target people. We urge people to watch out for these scams. The IRS is doing its part to protect Americans. We will relentlessly pursue criminals trying to steal your money or sensitive personal financial information.”
The IRS tries to thoroughly inform and educate Americans, but some people are lonely, and some are desperate for financial relief, especially at a time when unemployment is so high. Click here for the list of 2020 “Dirty Dozen” scams. Let’s ban together and do our best to stop these scammers from continuing to prey on vulnerable people in our lives and community.