12/12/2022
What is a not-so-jolly issue that people face more and more around the holiday season?
Gift card scams.
Scammers will impersonate the IRS or pretend to be their target’s employer. They will request that the target either purchase gift cards for co-workers or list them as the best way to pay off some non-existent tax bill. While many people will quickly see this as suspicious, a fair amount have fallen for this trap, opening themselves up to major financial issues, or even repercussions in their job.
The actual IRS has put together an article outlining more details for how these scams usually unfold, and more importantly, how to tell when it’s a scam. Don’t let yourself—or anyone else—be caught unaware!
Tax Tip 2022-181, November 28, 2022 — During the holiday season, taxpayers should be aware of gift card scams thieves commonly use this time of year. Con artists will target taxpayers by asking them to pay a fake tax bill with gift cards.