Scammers prey on last-minute tax filers

Tax preparers have a warning for you. Scammers are preying on procrastinators.

People rushing to get their taxes done might forget important documents or details of what happened last year. Enrolled agent Carlos Lopez says procrastination could make some filers fall pretty.

“They prey on last-minute filers because they know that kind of person always waits,” Lopez said. “They know they are probably in a rush and they know it’s easy to get someone with a scam when they are really rushed and busy and trying to get something done quickly.”

He’s seen quite a few scams lately. The most common is a phone scam from so-called IRS agents looking to take your money, along with phishing emails asking for your personal information.

Undocumented workers are also at risk of being scammed. Many could fall prey to scams regarding the Affordable Care Act, or fraud from a tax preparer.

“There’s people that say, ‘I’ll get you the biggest refund I can’ and you go in there and they give you the excise diesel tax,” Lopez said. “They’ll give you extra children that don’t belong to you.”

Lopez said the best way to make sure your return is secure is to file online rather than use a paper form.

“Because remember, if you mail your tax return, it’s going to get opened by somebody or it could get lost in the mail,” Lopez said. “Someone is going to find it and all of your information is right there. Your W2s, your name, your Social Security number, your children.”

If you don’t file a return, you can file an extension. Just remember, that if you owe, you’ll have to send in a payment with your extension request.