VIDEO CONSUMER ALERT: Tax-Filing Deadline Approaching
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—With the federal tax-filing deadline approaching, Attorney General Ashley Moody is issuing a Consumer Alert to remind Floridians to be on the lookout for tax scams and identity theft. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service announced in March an extension of the 2021 tax-filing deadline due to the impact of COVID-19. While traditionally set for April 15, the new deadline to submit taxes to the IRS this year is May 17—this upcoming Monday. Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The deadline to file federal taxes is just around the corner. If you are busy making last-minute adjustments to your tax documents, remember that scammers are still looking to steal identities and other valuable personal information. I am urging Floridians to remain vigilant against tax-related scams and report fraud to my office.”Earlier this year, Attorney General Moody released a new Scams at a Glance resource—Scams at a Glance: Tax Identity Theft—designed to help taxpayers avoid identity thieves attempting to gain access to personal information through tax-filing or tax-return schemes. Helpful tips from this resource include:
Hang up if someone calls asking for personal information or requests payment. Verify the caller’s legal authority or business affiliation by locating the entity’s phone number on an official website;
Use a secure internet connection if filing online or mail returns directly from the post office; and
Remember that the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via email, text message or social media.
To view more tax identity theft tips in the Scams at a Glance: Tax Identity Theft brochure, click here.To view Scams at a Glance: Tax Identity Theft in Spanish, click here.Another resource available to Floridians to ward off potential scammers during tax season is Scams at a Glance: IRS Imposters. IRS scams usually involve a call or email in which the imposter claims to be calling or writing from an official source and that urgent action—usually payment—is required by the recipient. To view Scams at a Glance: IRS Imposters in English, click here.To view Scams at a Glance: IRS Imposters in Spanish, click here.If anyone receives a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by filing a complaint online at TIGTA.gov or by calling 1(800) 366-4484. Anyone who encounters a tax-related scam can also contact the Florida Attorney General’s Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.
# # #
The Florida Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division issues Consumer Alerts to inform Floridians of emerging scams, new methods used to commit fraud, increased reports of common scams, or any other deceptive practice. Consumer Alerts are designed to notify Floridians about scams and available refunds in an effort to prevent financial losses or other harm caused by deceptive practices. Anyone encountering a scam should report the incident to the Florida Attorney General's Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.
