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(upbeat music)

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<v Narrator>It's tax season,</v>

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and scammers are using this time to impersonate the IRS

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to steal your money or personal information.

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It is important to familiarize yourself

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with typical scam tactics, prevention techniques

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and what to do if you believe you

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or someone you know has been impacted.

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Their schemes can start with a call, text, email,

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or even a social media message.

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Often, scammers use spoofing

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to make their calls look like a legitimate IRS phone number.

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They will try to convince you that you owe back taxes

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or there's a problem with your tax return.

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Scammers play on your fears

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and try to convince you to rectify the problem

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by paying immediately,

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and if you don't, will threaten you with jail

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or large monetary penalties.

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They might even use the opportunity to convince you

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to share your personal information.

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The IRS will always begin communication

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with an official letter in the mail,

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never a call, text, email or social media message.

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Additionally, the IRS will never ask for payment

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in the form of gift cards,

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money transfers or cryptocurrency.

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You can call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040

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to verify the legitimacy

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of any IRS-related communications you receive.

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If you receive an unsolicited communication from a scammer,

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do not respond.

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Instead, visit the IRS website

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for information on how to make a report.

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And lastly, for more information on how to protect yourself,

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visit the TIAA Security Center

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at tiaa.org/security.

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(upbeat music)