Governor Cuomo Warns New Yorkers About New Tax Scams
It's tax return season, and just like the yearly search for ways to lower your tax bill, there is a new tax scam for you to worry about.Super annoying, right? Getting your taxes filed is enough to worry about, and now there are some new scams to be concerned about.
Governor Cuomo announced Friday there there are some scammers out there stealing client info from tax preparers and employee info from HR/payroll administrators. They are basically illegally grabbing social security numbers. The NY State Tax Department has 37 companies in the state, including some right here in the Capital Region, have been targeted.
So how are the scammers getting the social security numbers? The Governor's office says in the case of the HR professionals, scammers pose as company execs and send emails requesting employee info. The Governor's office estimates 5,000 social security numbers may have already been stolen with this scheme.
Scammers are also getting info from those who prepare client tax returns with several phishing schemes.
Governor Cuomo is '...(encouraging) everyone – especially those in these fields – to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious inquiries to state and local authorities."
This means you should be vigilant too as you prepare your 2016 tax returns.