Avoid Tax Rebate Direct Deposit Scam

Callers claim to be with the 'tax refund department'

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

February 22, 2008

• Getting Your Taxes Done for Less • IRS Watchdog Reports Agency Stretched Too Thin • IRS Begins New Oversight Of Tax Preparers • IRS Considers License For Tax Preparers • Tax Refunds Likely to Boost Consumer Spending • Last-Minute Tax Tips • Tax Tips & News for Procrastinators • Need More Time to File Your Taxes? Just Ask • Don't Overlook These Itemized Deductions • 10 Ways Uncle Sam Helps You Save Money • 10 Common Tax-Filing Mistakes to Avoid • Penalties for Late Tax Returns • Tempting the Tax Auditor • 10 Often Overlooked Tax Breaks • Big Break for Lower-Income Taxpayers • Should You Always File a Joint Return? • Your Taxes From A to Z • Some Cars Save More than Gas • 5 Stupid Tax Mistakes • Taxpayer Rights Just One Click Away • Foreclosure Tax Double-Whammy Eased • Tax Consequences of Defaulting on Your Mortgage • Help for Low-Income Taxpayers • Video: Tax Tips – New Tax Breaks For Your 2008 Return • Tax Scam Deal Really Is Too Good To Be True • IRS Offers Help to Financially Stressed Taxpayers • Don't Let Just Anyone Do Your Taxes • Tax Preparers Tighten Up on 'Instant Refund' Loans • New Tax Rules Could Cost Second-Home Owners • New York Stops H&R Block's Deceptive Sweepstakes Ads • J. K. Harris Settles Deceptive Ad Charges --- • More about tax preparation ...

Before the ink was dry on legislation to provide economic stimulus rebate checks to taxpayers, scammers were playing on consumers' eagerness to receive their money.

The Tax Rebate Direct Deposit Scam, one of the first out of the gate, is showing up across the country, according to law enforcement officials.

In Oklahoma, Attorney General Drew Edmondson says many elderly residents of the state have become targets. They report receiving a phone call from someone who says they are with the Social Security Administration. They ask for the victim's bank account information so the funds can be direct deposited to their account.

"The spouse of one of our employees has received repeated calls from someone claiming to be with the SSA's Tax Refund Department," Edmondson said. "The caller is asking for checking account information that could be used to steal her money."

"The Social Security Administration does not contact people in this fashion," said Larry Jones, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration. "Citizens who want to have their benefits directly deposited into their bank accounts generally elect to do so upon filing their original claim for benefits, so that information is already on file. Even if it wasn't, the SSA does not have anything to do with mailing consumers' tax rebates."

Edmondson joined other law enforcement agents warning consumers against providing any personal or financial information, including bank account, credit card and Social Security numbers, to unknown callers.

It's also worth noting that to get your tax rebate, you have to file a tax return, even if you're not normally required to do so. Read more ...

More Scam Alerts ...

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |