Friday, May 3, 2024

Friday, April 12, 2024

Reminder: Tax Day is Monday, April 15. With the deadline to file your taxes approaching, scammers will try to trick you out of your hard-earned money. Use our tips below to help protect yourself and your loved ones from tax season scammers.

• Guard your personal information. Identity thieves can use your Social Security number to take out loans, open credit cards, or even collect your tax refund. Email is vulnerable to hackers, so avoid emailing your Social Security number or other confidential information to a tax preparer or accountant. If you’re using a website to file your taxes, make sure you confirm it is a secure site before entering any personal information.
• Be wary of anyone who calls or emails you and offers to help with your taxes, demands tax payments, or claims to be with the IRS. The IRS will not call you directly or have law enforcement or another government agency call you on their behalf. If you get a call from someone claiming to work for a government agency, ask them for their name, identification number, and contact number. Then, hang up and look up and call a known contact number for that government agency to verify the call. Avoid anyone who demands you make immediate payments using methods like gift cards, money orders, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
• Think twice before you opt for an instant refund. Some tax preparers and banks offer a refund anticipation check (RAC). This is a paid service for taxpayers who don’t have a bank account to use for direct deposit of their refund, or who don’t have the money to pay for tax preparation assistance. There’s a fee (typically about $30) to set up the RAC system. The preparer deducts that fee, their tax preparation charges, and other fees from the eventual refund. After all that, there may not be much of your actual refund left.
• If you have questions about something a tax preparer tells you about your taxes, check it out. You can contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 or the NC Department of Revenue at 1-877-252-4052.

Filing your taxes can be stressful, and it is easy to let the situation get the best of you. If you are unsure about something or something doesn’t feel right, always make sure to do your research first. If you believe you have been the victim of a tax scam, contact our office at 1-877-5-NOSCAM or file a complaint online at www.ncdoj.gov/complaint.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Earlier this week, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office sent out a warning about a phone scam that’s been on the rise. People are receiving calls from someone claiming to be a Guilford County deputy who says they must pay a fine immediately to avoid being arrested. To make matters worse, the scammers have been using names of real deputies and spoofing the phone number to make it appear as if it’s coming from the sheriff’s office.

Law enforcement scams are a common way for scammers to intimidate people into paying money. Here’s what to remember:

1. No legitimate law enforcement officer or government official is going to call you to threaten you with arrest or other legal consequences.
2. Verify the caller. While spoofing is less common than it used to be, scammers can still use technology to make a call appear as if it’s coming from an authentic source. It’s better to hang up, look up the agency’s number on your own, and then call them back.
3. Never pay someone who wants payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. It’s usually a scam, and once the money is gone, it’s hard to get it back.
4. Try not to panic. It’s understandably scary to get a call from a law enforcement officer telling you that you may be arrested, but don’t act out of fear. Take a moment and assess the situation. Call someone you trust or our office 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

If you do receive such a call from a scammer, hang up and report it to local law enforcement, or file a complaint with our office at www.ncdoj.gov/complaint.

Attorney General Josh Stein announced new actions to protect North Carolina homeowners. Our office is suing Canary General Contracting and Design for defrauding homeowners in Charlotte. So far, our Consumer Protection Division has received 15 complaints about the business and North Carolinians have reported more than $250,000 in financial losses. Attorney General Stein also announced the launch of an investigation into RealPage, a real estate software company, over concerns about anticompetitive conduct to raise the cost of rental housing.

We know that it takes a lot of time, effort, and money to buy or invest in a home. Use our tips to make sure that you are protecting yourself and your wallet from scammers trying to take advantage of you.

• Vet a business before you hire them. Ask friends and neighbors for their recommendations. Look for reputable companies online through the Better Business Bureau and check if a contractor has complaints against them by calling our office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.
• Compare estimates. Before you hire a repair company or contractor, get at least three estimates from different companies and compare them. Once you’ve selected the company you want to hire, make sure you agree to a contract in writing. And don’t pay upfront for work – make sure you are satisfied before you pay.
• Keep in mind that a contractor must be licensed by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors if the contractor does projects costing $40,000 or more. The Licensing Board can tell you if a particular contractor is licensed.
• Make sure to do your research before you sign the lease agreement. Look up the landlord or company you are planning to rent from and make sure they look legitimate.
• You can learn more tips for North Carolina homeowners and renters here.

If you think you or somebody you know has been the victim of a scam, contact our office’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint online at https://ncdoj.gov/complaint.

As the student loan landscape continues to evolve, borrowers face shifting deadlines, confusion, and uncertainty. As of September 1, 2023, the student loan payment pause has been lifted. Interest is again accruing on federal student loans and payments come due starting in October. Return to repayment—along with other developments on student loans—will give scammers an opportunity to try to trick borrowers into handing over their money or personal information.

Borrowers must stay alert and take steps to protect their finances. Follow these tips to protect yourself from student loan scams when return to repayment begins:  Read More…

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been all over the news as we all grapple with how it will impact our lives. Some forms of AI might make some tasks easier, but as with any new technology, scammers will try to use it to deceive people. Scammers are already at it; they’re using AI to mimic the voice of a loved one who claims to be in a distressing situation, tricking their victims into sending money or personal information. Commonly, scammers use AI in kidnapping scams by mimicking the voice of a kidnapped family member and demanding a bogus ransom payment.   Read More…..

 The horrific stories we are all reading about Saturday’s attack in Israel are hard to process, but our hearts go out to the innocents. During a crisis like this, you may want to donate to relief efforts. Unfortunately, scammers will stop at nothing to take advantage of people, even those who want to help, so please be aware of charity scams and make sure your money is going where you intend it to go. Below are some tips to keep in mind before you donate.   Read More…..