#Middlebury #Seniors
They never stop. Scammers are continually busy, and so must we be to stay one step ahead of them. Here are two more scams they’re trying to foist on us.
If you’re still working and receive W-2 or 1099 forms, look them over very carefully. If it’s a 1099-G, that’s for unemployment benefits. Did you receive those benefits? If not, it means that a scammer has used your identity to collect benefits. Those 1099-G forms go to the IRS, and that income is taxable.
Contact the unemployment office that issued the 1099-G and have them send a corrected form showing zero unemployment income. If you can’t get the corrected form in time, file your taxes without using that 1099-G dollar amount and enclose a note saying you didn’t receive unemployment benefits. The IRS is well aware of this problem.
Then send for your credit report, check it and put a freeze on your credit.
In another new scam, if you do an online search for a big box store and the first result on the list says “Ad” in front of the store name, don’t click it. This scam is especially sneaky because if you click on the “Ad” link, you’ll initially go to a page that looks very real. It isn’t.
Clicking it will take you to a site that may freeze your screen … and provide you a handy phone number to call to have the problem fixed. The person at the other end is a scammer who will ask for permission to access your computer remotely. If you allow it, he’ll put a bug in your computer that locks everything up, and you’ll have to pay to get it released.
Instead of doing a search, type in the Internet address of the store you want (call them if you’re not sure what it is) and go directly there.
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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