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Attorney General warns Rhode Islanders to be vigilant against IRS scams during tax season

 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha issued a warning to Rhode Islanders to remain vigilant against Internal Revenue Service (IRS) imposter scams during the current tax season as state and federal tax deadlines approach during the month of April. The Office of the Attorney General has received multiple reports of phone and email IRS imposter scams that attempt to solicit personal and payment information from individuals.

 

Scammers use a variety of methods in their attempts to victimize Rhode Islanders, including phone calls, texts, emails, regular mail, and social media messaging. The common elements of these imposter scams are: 1) a solicitation made to appear as if generated from a familiar government or business entity, like the IRS, and 2) a request for personal information or payment.

 

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“Unfortunately, these types of imposter scams are all too prevalent. The best way Rhode Islanders can avoid falling victim to a scam is to stay educated about the methods and themes scammers employ,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Each year during ‘tax season,’ we see an uptick in IRS imposter scams directed at earnest taxpayers who are simply trying to do the right thing. Rhode Islanders can always turn to this office for advice and information if they are faced with a possible scam situation.”

 

Imposter scams are commonplace – messages pretending to originate from a familiar or trusted source can convey a false sense of confidence to the recipient who in turn may be more likely to respond to a request and share personal or even payment information. Scammers are keen to take advantage of current trends and tailor their scams to target individuals – such as IRS scams during “tax season.”

 

Rhode Islanders should keep the following tips in mind when presented with messages purporting to be from a familiar government or business entity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To report the scam to the Attorney General's consumer protection team, call 401-274-4400 or visit riag.ri.gov. Consumers are also encouraged to consult www.irs.gov for additional IRS imposter scam information.