Watch Out; Top Ten States Where Tax Scammers Rip You Off

April is tax time and it's also scam time for scammers. While Washington state isn't number one on the list of the most tax scams the state is number 7 with 550 victims losing more than $15 million to government impersonation scams in 2023.

REMEMBER THE IRS WOULD NEVER CALL YOU BECAUSE OF A TAX PROBLEM

According to reverse search company Social Catfish,  https://socialcatfish.com a majority of the scams happen during the tax season when scammers pretend to be agents from the IRS to try and get your financial information.

MORE MONEY WAS LOST IN 2023

All total Social Catfish says a record $394 million was lost nationally in 2023, up from $241 million the year prior.
Most of scams are centered in 10 states where taxpayers have lost millions of dollars.
The top ten state impacted are;
California ($88.3 million)

Kansas ($44 million)

Florida ($27.1 million)

New York ($26.5 million)

Massachusetts ($22.2 million)

Texas ($17.1 million)

Washington ($15.05 million)

New Jersey ($15.02 million)

Maryland ($14.7 million)

Pennsylvania ($12.6 million)

5 COMMON TAX SCAMS TO AVOID

1. The Turbo Tax scam. Scammers say they're from TurboTax asking people to update accounts or saying there's an issue with a tax return. Trick websites and phone calls.
2. Fake accountants. Scammers pretending to be a CPA. You pay them up front. They disappear.
3. Spoofing IRS Phone Call. Scammers using a technique that makes it look like the phone call is coming from the IRS.
4. Unclaimed Refund: Scammers send emails with the IRS logo saying the person owes more and all they have to do is click on a scam link.
5. Employee Retention Credit: The ERC is a tax credit for businesses that employed people during the pandemic. Scammers put up ads saying they can help business owners get the ERC credit immeMost of scams are centered in 10 states where taxpayers have lost millions of dollars.diately.