The Internal Revenue Service today warned the public about a new twist on the IRS impersonation phone scam whereby criminals fake calls from the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS), an independent organization within the IRS. Similar to other IRS impersonation scams, thieves make unsolicited phone calls to their intended victims fraudulently claiming to be from the […]
The Internal Revenue Service has included tax return preparer fraud on its “Dirty Dozen” list of common tax scams for 2019 and offered tips to help taxpayers avoid unscrupulous tax preparers. With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the most sweeping tax reform legislation in more than 30 years now in effect, some taxpayers may […]
The Better Business Bureau has released a report about the top scams of 2018 as reported through its website. Ed Button reports from southern Missouri’s West Plains.
The Trenton Police Department advises that several residents have recently reported receiving calls involving the “Emergency” or “Grandparent Scam”. An “Emergency Scam” is someone receives a call, email, or social media message from a person claiming to be a family member in distress. The person may claim to have been arrested while traveling overseas or […]
December 31 is the deadline to get property taxes filed in Missouri. Better Business Bureau Regional Director Michelle Gleba says to check your internet connection, if you do the transactions online. Real estate and personal property taxes are due by December 31 in Missouri. If you file online, the Better Business Bureau’s regional […]
‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, which means it’s also the time of year that online scammers try to get your personal information. Timothy Johnston with the Better Business Bureau says to make sure a website has “h-t-t-p-s” in the address bar before you buy. Charities collect hundreds of millions of dollars in […]
The third annual Utility Scam Awareness Day is being observed throughout the week to help expose the tactics scammers use and educate residents and small business owners on how to protect themselves. “KCP&L and Westar Energy are promoting this important awareness campaign to help our customers recognize signs of a potential scam and to avoid […]
Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox reports a scam involving emails and other notifications sent from outside the United States to local citizens. The emails and notifications inform a citizen that the scammer has evidence of him or having an affair and demand a specific amount of money to “destroy evidence” to not make it known. […]
New Medicare cards are on their way to everyone enrolled in the program. Cards will be mailed automatically and free of charge, however, people should be wary of anyone calling to offer assistance with the cards or to request money or personal information, says Brenda Procter, University of Missouri associate extension professor. “Any time changes […]
KCP&L is warning its customers of a dramatic increase in reported scammers posing as KCP&L employees over the phone. KCP&L scam report tracking shows that 326 attempted utility collection call scams were reported in the first quarter of 2018 compared to 185 in 2017, a 76 percent increase. Of these reports, 251 were identified as […]
Scams involving veterans have been reported and veterans should be cautious about giving out information. Veterans Service Officer Wayne Kleinschmidt says one scam involves persons posing as Veterans Choice, or veterans accidentally call the wrong number. He advises veterans to only call the number printed on the back of their Veterans Choice card and says […]
