How to avoid scams this tax season

OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN OMAHA. WITH TAX SEASON OFFICIALLY HERE, IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SCAMS. AND WITH ME HERE TODAY IS AARP NEBRASKA STATE DIRECTOR TODD STUBBENDIECK TO TELL US ALL ABOUT IT. SO, TODD, TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD BE WATCHING OUT FOR, ESPECIALLY THIS TAX SEASON. YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO SEEM TO LIKE TAX SEASON ARE THE SCAMMERS BECAUSE IT PROVIDES THEM ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SEPARATE. SEPARATE PEOPLE FROM THEIR MONEY. AND IN THIS TAX SEASON, WHAT WE SEE ARE GOVERNMENT IMPOSTER SCAMS. AND SO YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL, A TEXT, A PHONE CALL, EVEN MAYBE A CONTACT THROUGH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA FROM SOMEONE CLAIMING TO BE AN IRS AGENT AND CLAIMING THAT YOU OWE SOME SORT OF BACK TAXES. AND THEY ARE. THESE ARE REALLY PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS, AND THEY REALLY GET YOU TO ACT IN A SENSE OF URGENCY. THEY CREATE A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF URGENCY THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS, AND THEY’LL TELL YOU IF YOU DON’T SEND US MONEY AND TAKE CARE OF THIS, THE FINE WILL GROW OR THERE’LL BE SOME SORT OF POLICE ACTION THAT WILL TAKE PLACE. AND SO THEY GET YOU IN THAT SENSE OF HEIGHTENED EMERGENCY, AND THEN THEY TELL YOU TO GO TAKE SOME MONEY AND TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. AND IT COULD BE THROUGH A WIRE. THEY MAY ASK YOU TO GO BUY GIFT CARDS TO THE STORE, AND THEN READ THEM THE NUMBERS SO THEY CAN GET THE MONEY THAT WAY. AND THEN THE FASTEST GROWING WAY THAT WE SEE IT IS THE USE OF CRYPTOCURRENCY KIOSKS OR CRYPTOCURRENCY ATMS. YEAH. AND SO IS THERE A SPECIFIC TARGET MARKET THAT THEY ARE THEY’RE GOING AFTER? IS IT KIND OF JUST A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE? IT’S ANYONE AND EVERYONE THAT THEY CAN GET. WE SEE THAT THE MOST LOSSES COME FROM OLDER FOLKS, BUT YOUNGER FOLKS ARE THE LARGEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC OF FOLKS THAT ARE LOSING MONEY TO THESE SCAMMERS. AND AGAIN, IT’S SO IMPORTANT. WE TOO OFTEN SHAME PEOPLE FOR HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID TO FALL FOR THIS? AND WITH THAT, SHAME MEANS THAT PEOPLE DON’T REPORT. AND WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THESE ARE PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS. YEAH. AND SO YOU SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED IF YOU ARE TARGETED OR A VICTIM, YOU NEED TO CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND AS WE KEEP GROWING WITH TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS, THEY’RE PROBABLY GETTING A LOT SMARTER. SO YOU’RE IT’S IT’S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO REPORT THOSE. SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THOSE WITH THOSE REPORTS THEN ON YOUR END? ARNOLD AND WOULD LET LAW ENFORCEMENT KNOW. I THINK THAT’S THE THAT’S THE BIGGEST THING IS LETTING LAW ENFORCEMENT KNOW FOR US THAT INFORMATION ABOUT EVEN IF THEY WEREN’T SUCCESSFUL, ABOUT WHAT THEIR TACTICS ARE, KEEPS US AHEAD. I SAY IT’S WHACK A MOLE. YOU KNOW, YOU SOLVE ONE THING AND THEY FIGURED OUT THEY’RE THREE STEPS AHEAD, HAVE FIGURED OUT A NEW SCAM OUT THERE TO TO TRY TO RIP PEOPLE OFF. COMING UP OUT OF ANOTHER HOLE. EXACTLY. SO, AARP, HOW ARE YOU GUYS HELPING YOUR CUSTOMERS? YEAH. SO AARP, WE EMPOWER PEOPLE TO CHOOSE HOW THEY LIVE AS THEY AGE. AND FOR US, THAT MEANS THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE FINANCIAL SECURITY AND FINANCIAL RESILIENCE. AND TOO OFTEN PEOPLE ARE LOSING MONEY TO THESE SCAMS. AND SO IT’S ABOUT EDUCATING FOLKS, LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT THESE SCAMS ARE AND WHAT’S OUT THERE AND HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES. AND SO IS THERE A PLACE THAT WE SHOULD GO TO REPORT THESE SCAMS? I KNOW YOU SAID YOU MENTIONED LAW ENFORCEMENT. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A GOOD WAY. THERE’S SORT OF A NO WRONG DOOR HERE. THE NEBRASKA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE HAS A REALLY GOOD PROTECT THE GOOD LIFE WEBSITE, WHERE YOU CAN GO AND LEARN MORE AND AND MAKE THOSE REPORTS. BUT WHENEVER IN DOUBT, JUST JUST CALL YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO FINAL THING HERE, IF YOU COULD GIVE A MESSAGE TO ALL OF OUR VIEWERS AT HOME ABOUT TAXES AND SCAMS AND HOW TO STAY AWAY FROM SCAMMERS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? NO LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT OR BUSINESS ENTITY IS GOING TO CONTACT YOU OUT OF THE BLUE AND SAY YOU OWE MONEY, AND IF YOU GET THAT CONTACT AND YOU HAVE CONCERNS AND YOU SHOULD HANG UP, PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL THEM BACK AT THE LEGITIMATE NUMBER AND SEE WHETHER IT’S TRUE. BUT NO KNOWN LEGITIMATE WILL EVER ASK YOU TO USE, ESPECIALLY A CRYPTOCURRENCY ATM TO MAKE A PAYMENT. IMPORTANT STUFF HERE. THANK YOU, TODD, FOR JOINING US. AN