Protecting Yourself from Scams

By MMNT, Certified Public Accountants

While we don’t really want to think about, scams are a very common thing in this day and age.

Nobody is 100 percent safe and everyone should remain cautious.

Right now, some people are receiving letters, supposedly from the Internal Revenue Service. These letters ask the person to confirm or verify who they are by phone or at idverify.irs.gov.

Not everyone is receiving one of these letters, but if you do, you should read the instructions given, check out the IRS website address in the letter, and give MMNT, Certified Public Accountants a call.

“We have seen an increased amount of identity theft so far this tax season, both on the federal side and the state side,” said MMNT Partner and Certified Public Accountant Philip Nemphos. “We suggest that any time our clients receive correspondence from the IRS or the State of Connecticut to immediately send it to us and we can guide them in the right direction.”

In addition, you should remember that the IRS never calls to demand immediate payment for taxes owed without first sending a notification by mail. It also doesn’t ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone, or threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement to arrest you for nonpayment.

There are several scams out there at the moment, so to protect yourself, you should read up on all of them and touch base with MMNT, Certified Public Accountants.

“We have heard from our clients about attempted phone scams as well as actual fraudulently filed tax returns,” said Nemphos. “As you can imagine, it is a stressful time when you receive a letter from the IRS stating that they are reviewing your tax return but in reality you haven’t filed a tax return yet. We are helping our clients through the process.”

MMNT can be reached by calling 860-643-1001 or e-mailing help@mmnt-cpa.com. Visit http://www.mmnt-cpa.com for more information.

And remember, if there is any doubt, you can call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040.