{"id":85454,"date":"2017-03-21T07:05:37","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T12:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=85454"},"modified":"2017-03-21T07:05:37","modified_gmt":"2017-03-21T12:05:37","slug":"ohio-a-g-issues-warning-on-tax-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2017\/03\/21\/ohio-a-g-issues-warning-on-tax-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio A-G issues warning on tax scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine warns that more consumers are reporting tax-related scams with about four weeks remaining until the April 18 filing deadline.<\/p>\n

\"Attorney
Ohio A-G\u00a0Mike DeWine<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2017, the Ohio Attorney General\u2019s Office has logged more than 150 tax scams thus far in March, compared to 80 in January, and 175 in February.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we get further into tax season, we\u2019re seeing more of these scams,\u201d Attorney General DeWine said. \u201cWhat we want people to remember is that if callers are threatening you, saying you have to pay immediately, or saying they\u2019re going to put you in jail, it\u2019s not the IRS.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most common tax scam reported to the Ohio Attorney General\u2019s Office is the \u201cIRS\u201d imposter phone scam. The ploy generally begins with a call claiming the recipient is in trouble with the IRS and must call a certain phone number to avoid arrest or legal action. Eventually, the person is asked to pay to resolve the supposed problem.<\/p>\n

Con artists commonly lie to people claiming they owe back taxes, they have unfiled returns, they have an arrest warrant in their name, they\u2019re receiving a \u201cfinal notice\u201d from the IRS, they will be prosecuted for tax fraud, or their assets, wages, or bank account will be frozen if they don\u2019t pay.<\/p>\n

The scam artists often ask people to pay using iTunes (or other) gift cards, instructing people to read the card numbers over the phone. With this information, con artists can drain the card\u2019s funds. Once the money is gone, it is nearly impossible to recover.<\/p>\n

To avoid phone scams:<\/p>\n