October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Don’t give scammers a treat – follow these tips to stay safe.
Don’t get tricked
Scammers often contact you by phone or email, over social media, or through the United States Postal Service. Then they pretend to be Virginia Tax, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or other government employees.
- Remember: If you owe taxes to Virginia Tax, we will mail a bill to the address we have on file before contacting you another way. And we will never ask for personal information through insecure methods such text messages or social media.
Scammers will accuse you of violating tax laws, owing back taxes, or cheating on tax credits. Then they’ll pressure you to pay immediately and by using a specific pay method such as a gift card, a prepaid debit card, or a wire transfer. They hope that by scaring you, you’ll reveal confidential information.
- Remember: Virginia Tax will not demand payment without giving you an opportunity to ask questions or appeal. We also never threaten violence, or threaten to revoke your driver’s license, business license, or immigration status.
Still not sure if it’s really us? Give us a call!