Latest Tax Phone Scam Involves Itunes Gift Cards

It's that time of year again. Workers across the US will soon receive their W-2's and tax season will be underway. Scammers ramp up their activity during tax season, making threatening calls in an attempt to dupe taxpayers into sending them money. It's become quite a cottage industry in India. Many of us have received these fraudulent calls, myself included. Last fall, I reported a call center near Mumbai was raided by Indian police. They took about 6 dozen people into custody. The New York Times reports, the latest wave of fraudulent activity involves the caller pressuring  the victim to buy thousands of dollars worth of itunes gift cards, which the crooks convert into cash.  Officials with the Treasury Department remind us, the IRS doesn't call out of the blue. They won't send emails requesting personal information, either. If you receive a threatening call, hang up, and file a report at www.tigta.gov.