Fabricated IRS Email Scam
Tax season is here and so are the cyber crooks. IRS plots are circulating, the latest one involving an authentic looking email from the IRS that states that you can get your tax refund on a Visa or a Mastercard. It asks for your credit card number, your social security number, credit card expiration dates, card verification value numbers, amount shown on your tax return, filing status and other personal information that might be helpful to them.
An example of the phishing email can be found on the IRS web site.
“After the last year’s calculations of your fiscal activity we’ve come to the conclusion that you’re able to receive a tax refund of $78.87. Please submit the tax refund request and give us 6-9 days to process it. Access the form for your tax refund by clicking here. – Regards, Internal Revenue Service.”
The IRS does not notify taxpayers of refunds, or any other payments that may be due, by email. Rather than click on the link in the message, you should forward the email to phishing@irs.gov, and erase the original from your email account.
IRS plots work one of two ways: con-men send out unsolicited e-mails that appear to come from the IRS and tell recipients that they have refunds coming to them. But first they need to click on e-mail links and provide needed information, which they will use to steal a victims identity.
The second version is an email that pretends to be from the IRS Criminal Investigation Division telling the recipient that they are under investigation for false tax returns. To learn more about the complaints against them, consumers click on the links which hold Trojan horse codes.
These codes take over computer hard drives and permit scammers to remotely access the computers and use them to send spam email among other things. If you ever do receive unsolicited emails from the IRS, they urge you to forward them the email.
Mallory Megan is employed by a debt collection agency. Also she writes articles on business and finance, consumer spending and collection agencies.
Bankruptcy And Debt Relief
With consumer debt at an all time high, having a debt can be overwhelming. Some people have looked into the internet and have seen advertisements promising debt relief as a quick solution. Enticing as these ads may seem, it is important to be on the lookout for the validity of the claim.
Most of these boast a quick fix, but that quick fix might be bankruptcy. Yes, bankruptcy is one way to address your financial issues, but in most cases it should be a last resort. The fact that you claim bankruptcy stays on your credit report for ten years which means that your chances of getting credit, jobs, a place of residence, or insurance are significantly lowered.
It’s a good idea to consider other alternatives before deciding to claim bankruptcy. Speak with your creditors. Oftentimes a re-payment plan can be worked out that is modified or can be paid in installments. Credit counseling services can work with you and your creditors to make debt repayment plans.
If you are thinking about a second mortgage, be careful. These loans need your house as collateral. Bankruptcy can put an end to foreclosures, debt collection activities and it may get rid of unsecured debts. Exemptions are provided that let you keep certain assets. However, personal bankruptcy does not typically eliminate child support, fines, taxes, alimony and in some cases student loans.
It will not usually allow you to keep your property if your creditor has a security lien or mortgage that has not been paid. A relatively recent tweek in bankruptcy laws creates certain hurdles that you must overcome before you can even file for bankruptcy, no matter what type of bankruptcy. First, you have to get credit counseling from an organization approved by the government within six months before filling.
Also in certain cases you have to pass a test that requires that you confirm that your income doesn’t exceed a certain amount.
Mallory Megan is employed by a debt collection agency. She also composes articles on business and finance, consumer spending and collection agencies.
When Do I Call In A Medical Collection Agency
Do you have any idea how much money your medical collection agency recovered last year? If you don’t, how can you evaluate their effectiveness or your return? How could you possibly be aware?
Although patient balances forwarded to a medical collection agency are often considered “lost causes,” there would be little point in using such services if that were always the case. Logic dictates this much. Some of the reasons are as follows: Some patients simply do not respond to practice statements or internal collection letters. They will, however, respond when a collection agency states it will report their failure to pay to credit bureaus. Collection agencies have a number of resources on their hands. If reporting a debt to a credit bureau does not work, there are attorneys on hand that can assist you with problem consumers who refuse to pay.
It is a given that most medical practices acknowledge the need for collection agency services but they should evaluate and manage this collection method just like any other. Practices should have a full understanding of the terms of the agreement with their collection agency and the results of such arrangements; they must also understand how their own internal processes affect the agency’s success. And internal processes do have an enormous effect on the amount of money that you can collect.
Here are six questions you should ask when evaluating your current collection agency.
What is the total dollar value of accounts placed with the collection agency last year?
What is the protocol for turning accounts to collection?
What is the average age of transferred accounts?
What percentage of transferred accounts had balances less than $50?
How much did the agency collect last year?
What fees does the collection agency charge?
What reports does the agency provide?
Mallory McGuinness works for a collections agency that works with a debt collection lawyer. Also, she writes articles on business, finance, consumer spending and collections agencies.