Saturday, October 4, 2014

"recognize red flags that might indicate that a call is a scam"

The Mass Consumer Affairs Blog has good info on what to do if you get a phone call that sounds like a scam.
The most important thing that consumers can do is learn to recognize red flags that might indicate that a call is a scam:
  • Legitimate debts that you owe should always be documented in writing. Request that the person produce their claim in writing to confirm they are not a scammer. Scammers will likely not do this because it is too much trouble to forge, and because it creates a paper trail leading back to them. If the caller did not notify you in writing, that’s a red flag.
  • The IRS (and all government agencies) will never request that you send them money through a prepaid card. Consumers should be extremely suspicious of this kind of request. Another variation of this scam, which is older and less common, is that the scammer tells the consumer to wire them their money. This may sound more legitimate than the prepaid card, but it is still a red flag. Government agencies do not request payment via wire transfers.
The Office of Consumer Affairs advises consumers to hang up the phone if they are suspicious and call theirlocal IRS number to check if they owe a legitimate debt. If it turns out to have been a scam, consumers should report it to the Federal Trade Commission and the Attorney General’s Office at (617) 727-8400.

Mass Consumer Affairs Blog
Mass Consumer Affairs Blog

You can read the full article on the Mass Consumer Affairs blog here
http://blog.mass.gov/consumer/scams/irs-scam-alert-dont-be-tricked-into-paying-debts-you-dont-really-owe/


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