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Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza issued a warning to residents across the state about tax related scams as the tax refund season kicks off.

Mendoza stated it's important to be cautious, especially since there is a lot of paperwork and deadlines involved.

鈥淛ust like throughout the year, you should take precautions to safeguard your personal information when it comes to tax documents,鈥� Comptroller Mendoza said. 鈥淪cammers often use scare tactics to try and get taxpayers to hand over private information and money.鈥�

Below is a list of scam related items and scenarios which Mendoza alerted the public about...

• Receiving a cardboard envelope in the mail with a note on IRS letterhead, stating 鈥渁bout your unclaimed refund.鈥� The letter will likely include contact information and a phone number that does not belong to the IRS, and request you provide sketchy 鈥渇iling鈥� information such as a photo of your driver鈥檚 license, Social Security number, and other personal information. The IRS says the letter may be poorly worded and include different fonts.

• IRS telephone scams, where impersonators commonly target recent immigrants and those with limited English proficiency. The con artist will call and threaten arrest or deportation if payment is not made in the form of a gift card or wire transfer. If you truly owe money, the IRS will first mail you a bill.

• False claims for unemployment compensation. The IRS urges taxpayers to be on the lookout for criminals seeking to steal their identities to鈥痜ile fraudulent claims for unemployment compensation.鈥疭ince unemployment benefits are a taxable form of income, the state will send constituents a 1099-G form, also known as Certain Government Payments form if an unemployment claim has been made under your name. If you did not apply for unemployment or received the compensation, visit the (IDES) to report the fraud.

• Phishing and Malware Scams. Here, con artists will again use the IRS logo and send email or text messages to taxpayers asking for their personal and financial information. Some messages will also send you to a link that contains a malware virus that will enable scammers to access your information. One specific scam targets college students and faculty with .edu email addresses, asking them to fill out a form with all of their personal information. Unsolicited emails from IRS impersonators should be reported to the IRS at [email protected].

• Avoid 鈥淕host鈥� tax return preparers. That is a tax return preparer who does not sign the tax return that they have prepared. By not signing the tax return, the preparer may overpromise a large refund, charge you based on the size of the refund, and/or send funds to their own bank accounts instead of the taxpayer.

Mendoza also said if the IRS contacts you about how your social security number has been compromised, here are some recommended steps you should do...

1. File a report with the
2. Request Fraud Alert protection from one of the three major credit bureaus:

• Equifax, , 800-525-6285
• Experian, , 888-397-3742
• TransUnion,

聽 聽 聽 3. Contact your financial institution and close any accounts that were opened without your consent.

鈥淩emember, neither the state nor the federal government will call taxpayers, threatening them and demanding payment via a wire transfer, or credit or debit card,鈥� says Comptroller Mendoza. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a sure sign of a scam.鈥�