Dubuque Police have become aware of recent scams in the area and are asking residents to exercise caution both on the phone and when accessing email.
In one case, a suspect calls claiming affiliation with the IRS and asks for personal information. The IRS will not do this and most likely already has the information. If in doubt, contact your tax preparer and/or the IRS directly.
A second IRS-related scam involves an email that appears to be from the IRS that asks clients to click on a link in order to release a “hold” that has been placed on their return. The link will either infect the victim’s computer with a virus or malware, and/or direct them to a fraudulent website where they will be prompted to provide personal information. Again, the IRS will not contact you in this fashion and if there is doubt, contact them directly at a phone number you have confirmed as legitimate. As with the first scenario, contacting your tax preparer is also advisable.
Lastly, there have been in increase in fraudulent emails claiming to be from shipping companies. These emails ask potential victims to click on a link to process an overnight package. As with the second scenario above, the link will either direct you to a fraudulent website and/or infect your computer with a virus/malware.
The above listed scams are just a few of the thousands that are nationally prevalent today. Regardless of the type or nature of the scam, the precautions remain the same: don’t ever open emails from unknown/unverified senders; never click on links within emails unless you’re positive they’re legit; and never provide personal information unless you’re absolutely sure it is safe to do so. Keep in mind that email addresses can be altered ever so slightly to appear legitimate, and callers can make phone numbers appear as though the number is originating from somewhere it’s not (“spoofing”) and thus fool the caller ID and call recipient.