It’s the last day to file taxes; but getting scammed isn’t over yet

It’s the last day to file your taxes for 2017, but that does not mean residents are off the hook for potential of being scammed.

ABC 17 spoke with Special Agent John Nunez today, with the IRS Criminal Investigation who said there is a new scammer tactic on the rise and it involves people’s tax refund.

It is called an IRS refund scam.

Experts say this new tactic involved cyber crooks targeting tax professionals by sending them phishing emails with links and attachments, containing malware.

“We caution people not to click on those unknown senders, because it could be a scam and it could affect your computer,” said Nunez.

The minute the link is clicked on, your computer is owned by a thief, who can then steal numbers, log-in information, and file a return for you. Which then leads to multiple and unexpected returns.

Nunez said the scammers, posing as the IRS will then call wanting the return in error, saying, “we need to get that money back and then they will direct you to a website or how to get that money paid back to them.”

Nunez said the majority of scammers operate outside of the country, so once the money is paid, it is hard, if not impossible to get back.

The IRS said they will not call, email, or leave voicemails. Instead, the first contact is made through the U.S. Postal Service and they are not going to demand money immediately.

According to the IRS, in the last five years, over a hundred Missouri residents have fallen victim to tax scams and have lost almost a half a million dollars.

If you have received a tax refund in error or scammer calls, the IRS asks for you to contact them directly at (800) 829-1040.

The IRS also released a statement today that their online filing system is experiencing technical glitches. They are working to resolve the issues and ask taxpayers to file their returns as you normally would.

If you do miss the deadline today, you can extend it by 6-months, you can find the extension form here.