Dirty Dozen 2020: Scams Targeting non-English Speakers

    Those who try to impersonate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) often target groups at higher risk than others. Some who are particularly vulnerable are those who have a limited knowledge of English. These scams are used year round which has earned them a place on the Dirty Dozen list.

    These scams are often threatening and create a sense of urgency to force the victim to pay a surprise amount of taxes owed. Often the criminals have some real information like an address or part of their Social Security number making the call seem legitimate. The threats of deportation or arrest increase the anxiety for those with limited access to information that would help them to understand how the IRS really communicates. They never use “robocalls” to tell people how to call back. They will never call and ask for personal financial information. Simply hang up on someone asking for these things, you will not go to jail.

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