Thursday, April 28, 2011

IRS Scammers Trying to Steal Credit Card Numbers

The Missouri Department of Revenue reminds citizens that none of its employees will ever contact Missouri taxpayers to ask for credit card or debit card numbers.

The Department recently received a report that a citizen received a call from someone who represented himself as “representing the state of Missouri.” The phone caller stated that he had an “income tax rebate” for the citizen, but that he would need the citizen’s credit card number and expiration date to complete the transaction.

“No employee of the Missouri Department of Revenue will ever contact someone to get a person’s credit card number to process an income tax refund,” said Alana M. Barragán-Scott, the Department’s director. “Scam artists sometimes falsely represent themselves as agents of the government in an attempt to get people’s confidential financial information. The Department urges citizens to ignore these dishonest, would-be thieves.”

If people have questions about tax refunds, they can call the Department of Revenue at (573) 751-3505 or email the Department at income@dor.mo.gov. To report a local scam, please contact the secure phone line at the Worth County Sheriff's Department at (660) 564-2222.

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