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IRS warns of scams related to natural disasters

With hurricane season underway, the IRS is reminding taxpayers that criminals and scammers often try to take advantage of the generosity of taxpayers who want to help victims of major disasters.

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and taxpayers need to be vigilant of scams that will undoubtedly pop up when and if a hurricane occurs during that time.

Fraudulent schemes normally start with unsolicited contact by telephone, social media, e-mail or in-person using a variety of tactics.

Help for disaster victims

Disaster victims can call the IRS toll-free disaster assistance telephone number (866-562-5227). Phone assistors will answer questions about tax relief or disaster-related tax issues. Details on available relief can be found on the disaster relief page on IRS.gov.

Donate to real charities

To help taxpayers donate to legitimate charities, the IRS website, IRS.gov, has a search feature, Tax Exempt Organization Search, that helps users find or verify qualified charities. Donations to these charities may be tax-deductible.

Taxpayers suspecting fraud by email should visit IRS.gov and search for the keywords “Report Phishing.” More information about tax scams and schemes may be found at IRS.gov [1] using the keywords “scams and schemes.”