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Highlands Today

New Tax Rebate Scam Warning Issued

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By Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: February 11, 2008

SEBRING — State Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is warning people about a new attempt to get personal information or money with a claim to help people get a tax rebate from the federal government.

"If you receive a phone call or e-mail with a promise of assistance in getting a check, hang up on the caller or delete the e-mail," Bronson said.

Paul Hinman with the Highlands County Sheriff's Crime Prevention Unit said Tuesday he personally has not gotten any local complaints on this new twist to the various IRS scams out there.

"The Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit is asking the informing the public that this is out there and to be aware of it," Hinman said. "It would help if people would let us know, so we can get an idea if it is really prevalent in this area."

In one variation of the scam, a company calling itself the Federal Commission Refund Department is promising consumers help in obtaining the tax refund for a $29 fee it offers to withdraw from the consumer's bank account, Bronson reported.

A second variation of the scheme has scammers who portray themselves as IRS agents, calling and asking for Social Security numbers and other personal information to verify the person's eligibility for a refund, Bronson warns.

"What these scam artists are trying to do is obtain personal information, including bank account and Social Security numbers, so they can clean out you checking or savings account and open a line of credit in your name," Bronson said. "Don't fall for it."

Congress has just passed a tax rebate plan in an effort to stimulate the economy. The IRS, which is the agency that will issue the rebate checks, does not ask for personal information on the phone or in an e-mail, Bronson's press release stated.

No Scam Like An Old Scam

Hinman said he personally has received three separate e-mails from scam artists in a different scam, informing him he has an IRS refund coming. The letters look fairly official, but don't be fooled, he said.
"The refund request asks for personal information (the scam artists) need," Hinman said in a previous report. "Don't respond to these. The IRS can be reached at a toll free number. If you have a refund coming, they will send it to you with a letter. They won't send a form requesting information."
Anyone who thinks they have been scammed or that someone is trying to perpetrate a scam by mail or by e-mail is asked to call the crime prevention unit at 863-385-0024.

Hinman said the unit's goal is to help educate and warn the public about what is going on out there.

A Swedish scam from a man who claimed he was dying of cancer, wanted you to help him distribute his $16 million to charity, letting you keep 20 percent.

Another informed you that you won $1 million pounds in a lucky number lottery, a promotional program aimed to encourage Internet users.

Yet another offered a 30 percent cut for assistance in a $7.2 million insurance money recovery from some guy named Donald Harrison, who died in a plane crash.

One favorite of Hinman's was the Vatican scam received by a Highlands County resident. In it, a letter came from "The Office of the Holy Father" of the "Vatican Church, Vatican City, Rome."

It extended an offer to work for the Vatican Church, as its official "secret distributor of charity funds" to its "several registered charity organizations around the global earth with topmost secrecy."

The commission was 30 percent of every fund released.

Another danger consumers face is when the scam artists are successful and call again.

"I call it the scam recovery scam," said Hinman.

Someone gets scammed in a lottery scam for $1,000 and five months later they get a call saying we understand you were the victim of a lottery scam, send $200 and we'll help you recover your money, he said.

"They come back for a second bite of the apple," he said.

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