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   Our Office continues to see and receive reports of scams and “phishing” attempts in a variety of methods and techniques daily. Phishing (as in “fishing for information”) is a scam in which fraudsters send e-mail messages to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing personal and financial information that can be used to steal the victims’ identities. 

   While most of our reports are received as informational, the reporter was able to identify the attempt as a scam and did not give out any personal or financial information; sadly, we see a number of folks who don’t recognize the attempt as a scam and are out tens, hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars. We have covered a variety of scam information in previous articles. We would like to address three specific scams that we have been recently made aware of through reports and information shared. 

Tax Season Scams

    The International Revenue Service (IRS) has issued several alerts about the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scammers trying to access consumers’ financial information to steal their identity and assets. 

   Scam emails are designed to trick taxpayers into thinking these are official communications from the IRS or others in the tax industry, including tax software companies. These phishing schemes may seek information related to refunds, filing status, confirming personal information, ordering transcripts and verifying PIN information.

   Be alert to bogus emails that appear to come from your tax professional requesting information for an IRS form. IRS doesn’t require Life Insurance and Annuity updates from taxpayers or a tax professional.

   Variations can be seen via text messages. The IRS is aware of email phishing scams that include links to bogus websites intended to mirror the official IRS website. These emails state, “You are to update your IRS e-file immediately.” These emails are not from the IRS.

The sites may ask for information used to file false tax returns or they may carry malware, which can infect computers and allow criminals to access your files or track your keystrokes to gain information.

   Unsolicited emails claiming to be from the IRS, or a related component such as EFTPS, should be reported to the IRS at [email protected]. (Information from IRS.gov)

Virus/Tech 

Support Scams

   Tech support scammers want you to believe you have a serious problem with your computer, like a virus. They want you to pay for tech support services you don’t need to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. They often ask you to pay by wiring money, putting money on a gift card, prepaid card, or cash reload card, or using cryptocurrency or a money transfer app because they know those types of payments can be hard to reverse. 

   Tech support scammers use many different tactics to trick people. Spotting these tactics will help you avoid falling for the scam. Tech support scammers often call and pretend to be a computer technician from a well-known company. They say they have found a problem with your computer. They typically ask you to give them remote access to your computer and then pretend to run a diagnostic test. They will say their test found some problem and try to make you pay to fix the problem that does not exist. If you get a phone call you didn’t expect from someone who says there’s a problem with your computer, hang up. Tech support scammers may try to trick you with a pop-up window that appears on your computer screen. It might look like an error message from your operating system or antivirus software, and it might use logos from trusted companies or websites. The message in the window warns you about a security issue on your computer and tells you to call a phone number to get help. These messages also often come in the form of an email message; do not open the message or click any of the links provided. If you think there may be a problem with your computer, update your computer’s security software and run a scan. If you need help fixing a problem, go to someone you know and trust. Stores that sell computer equipment also offer technical support in person.

Romance Scams

   Many people are using online dating apps or social networking sites to meet people for a variety of reasons.  But instead of finding friendship or romance, many find a scammer trying to trick them into sending money. You meet someone special on a dating website or app, then they will want to email, call, or message you off the platform. They say it’s true love, but they live far away — maybe for work or because they’re in the military. Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or contact you through popular social media sites. The scammers create a relationship with you to build up trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. Then, they make up a story and ask for money.

   Variations of the ask that we have seen is usually a plane ticket to visit you. An emergency family or medical situation has come up, or there is some other urgency. Scammers will tell you how to pay. All scammers, not just romance scammers, want to get your money quickly. And they want your money in a way that makes it hard for you to get it back. They’ll tell you to wire money through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram, put money on gift cards (like Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, or Steam) and give them the PIN codes, send money through a money transfer app, or transfer cryptocurrency. (FTC.gov)

   As always, if you feel that you are being scammed, stop the activity, communication or transaction immediately. Also, contact any financial institutions that you are affiliated with and report the incident. If you need additional help navigating through the process, feel free to contact our office to create a report and get some assistance and guidance on safeguarding yourself.     

   If you have specific questions that you would like answered in this column or in person, please feel free to contact me anytime using one of the following methods: 

Email:  [email protected]

Phone:  218-547-1424 or 1-800-450-2677

By Mail/In Person

Cass County Sheriff’s Office

303 Minnesota Ave W

PO Box 1119

Walker, MN 56484

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