Sheriff: Tax time also time to beware of tax scams

Throughout the year I try to provide information regarding scams and frauds, and there are no shortages of the types and tactics which are used to perpetrate these crimes.

While some are not specific, others are linked to certain times of the year, so as to appear legitimate and logical in their presentation. One tactic they all share is the need to raise the targeted victim’s emotions, thus increasing the chance of cooperation.

Such is the case with tax season.

There are few things that create more stress in the lives of hard-working adults than that of interaction with the Internal Revenue Service, so when a call is received that there is an issue, our first response is to do whatever we can to resolve it.

As with any potential scam that poses as a government agency, the request for monetary exchange should be met with a high degree of suspicion.

Any legitimate government organization will communicate first through traditional means of correspondence, such as a letter in the mail to make you aware of any possible issues. Most likely, numerous attempts will be made to rectify the situation prior to any formal action.

Even when all communication has failed and the process then must take an enforcement action, numerous attempts again will be made to bring the matter to a conclusion through formal documentation.

At no time would a government agency demand money over the phone to satisfy a fine or obligation. Many times these fraudulent callers will use the threat of arrest to gain compliance. This, again, should be a reason to doubt the legitimacy of the caller.

We live in a great country with many safeguards pertaining to individual rights and the limitations of infringement on those rights. Before a person is arrested, he or she will have been given due notice of the reason for that arrest, not just from a phone call to gain compliance in a monetary transaction.

The best course of action in these situations is to hang up. If you are in fact facing any type of action, be it through a local, state or federal agency, a more formal and documented process will ensue.

For more information, go to www.irs.gov/Individuals/Identity-Protection.

Matt Joski is Kewaunee County Sheriff.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Sheriff: Tax time also time to beware of tax scams