Schuette Warns Of IRS Scams

It’s tax season, so Attorney General Bill Schuette is offering tips to Michigan residents to avoid IRS scams and tax-related identity theft.

Schuette says con artists take advantage of tax season at the expense of Michigan taxpayers and notes that anybody contacting a consumer claiming to be from the IRS and asking for personal identifying information is a crook.

Schuette say some common scams include: high-pressure phone calls demanding over-the-phone payment for back taxes, emails claiming a tax refund is available and links to a website asking for personal information, and cash reward online surveys that ask for personal identifying information.

Schuette says the IRS will never initiate an e-mail to a taxpayer so e-mails purporting to be from the IRS are fraudulent. He encourages consumers to report fraudulent IRS e-mails or phone calls to the IRS.