Tax scams are in full swing. Here's how to protect yourself

Tax scams are in full swing. Here's how to protect yourself  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE WED, FEB 19, 2020 YOUR WEALTH Editor's Note It's tax scam season. I tell people about this every year, but it bears repeating. Why? Because despite all the warnings, fraudsters continue to successfully find unwitting victims. In fact, the IRS says thousands of taxpayers lose millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams each year. These scammers work year round, but it is during the lucrative tax season that many come out and work a variety of sophisticated scams. They will impersonate IRS agents, other government employees or debt collectors over the phone, online or by mail in an effort to trick you into sending them money for taxes, penalties or fees you don't actually owe. These fraudsters look to capitalize on the sometimes complex process of tax filing, and a fear of running afoul of the IRS. Sadly, they make a nice living targeting gullible victims during the weeks leading up to April 15. That's why taxpayers need to remain vigilant. While it may seem obvious to most, here goes: Never give out personal information — such as Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords — to anyone who calls you claiming to be from the IRS. The IRS reminds taxpayers that they can know quickly when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are things the scammers often do but the IRS will never do: The IRS will never call to demand immediate payment, nor will it call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; will never demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; will never require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card and will never ask for credit- or debit-card numbers over the phone. Finally, despite what you may think about the IRS, they will not threaten to bring in police, immigration officers or other law enforcement to have you arrested for not paying your taxes. For more cool stuff like this, please follow me on Twitter @jimpavia and check out CNBC's Financial Advisor Hub and CNBC + Acorns Invest in You: Ready. Set. Grow. Jim Pavia @JIMPAVIA Tax scams are in full swing. 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