Alert: Tax Scam Emails and Phone Calls

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Stay alert for tax scam emails and phone calls during tax season. You may also get scam emails purporting to have tax forms from your bank or even from Denison. Recent scams have tried to fool people into logging into fake employer HR sites.  If you want to view any online tax data please do so from an existing browser bookmark or manually type in the address to the site you are checking (ie. https://my.denison.edu/)

If you do receive a suspicious email regarding your Denison W-2 please forward it, along with the email header, to helpdesk@denison.edu so ITS staff can check it out.

For more information on tax phishing scams: https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts

The IRS does make phone calls, so it is important to stay cautious and informed if you do receive a call. There are continuing aggressive phone scams targeting taxpayers, especially recent immigrants who may be unfamiliar with standard IRS practices.

Generally, the IRS will first mail you a bill if you owe any taxes, so keep in mind:

  • The IRS will NEVER call and demand immediate payment over the phone.
  • The IRS will NEVER try to threaten or intimidate you, demand payment with a prepaid debit card, or ask for your credit card or debit card number over the phone.
  • The IRS will NEVER threaten to call the police or immigration agents if you don’t pay.

If you get a call like this please report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) by calling 800-366-4484 or visit http://www.tigta.gov. Also, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov/complaint

If you receive unsolicited emails claiming to be from the IRS please forward them to phishing@irs.gov, and mark as spam in Gmail.

For more information on phone scams, watch this IRS YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y5z0kWgBcM and read this IRS Tax Tip: https://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Urges-Public-to-Stay-Alert-for-Scam-Phone-Calls

Visit https://uscis.gov/avoidscams or https://www.uscis.gov/es/eviteestafas to learn how to recognize and avoid immigration scams and find authorized legal services.

Stay informed to make your tax season as safe as possible!

credit: williams.edu