Beware Of Tax Season Scams Targeting Our West Michigan Community

We made it through January - snow, cold, and all, so now we move into February and beyond. Guess what? It's our favorite time of the year, TAX TIME!

NOT!

We all have to start collecting our W-2s, 1099s, and all of the other records we will need to file our income tax return by April 15. Ugh! It is a chore, for sure.

👇 BELOW: WHAT YOU CANNOT DEDUCT ON YOUR TAX RETURN THIS YEAR! 👇

You know what else you have to be looking for? SCAMMERS!

Yep, there is a "bad guy" out there for everything.

My car warranty has expired!

I just won a pile of money and to claim it all I have to do is send them a few thousand dollars to cover fees.

I didn't appear in court and I'm about to be arrested so I'd better send money to make it all go away!

I could go on. However, along with tax time is a new scam that is hitting phones around West Michigan, Fox17 reported.

Nakia with the Better Business Bureau of Michigan, said this is how it goes:

"A person specifically named Nancy is calling to let you know that she's from the claims department. They've been trying to reach you. They've sent messages and you owe back taxes. As you may have guessed, Nancy is not real. But Nancy is claiming to be with the IRS and has been frequently calling people around Michigan claiming you missed a filing, didn't pay the taxes owed, and is trying to make a final attempt to reach you before litigation will be used."

Oh boy, here we go again. Sadly some people may actually fall for this. But the easy way to handle this is, HANG UP!

But wait, there's more.

"An imposter from a legitimate organization called American Tax Consultants has been leaving voicemails saying you qualify for some sort of 2025 liability reduction program."

Fox17 pointed out to remember "the IRS will not contact you by phone, email, or text. The IRS will start with an official letter sent by mail."

Another significant way to know it's bogus is when you are supposed to "act immediately, with threats of penalties, legal action, or missed opportunities, and requests for payment or personal information over the phone." NOT!

Come on guys, STOP IT! Don't ever give out personal information, social security number, bank account numbers, etc.

The BBB of Michigan can be a big help with their scam tracker on their website!