With tax season in full swing, scammers are ramping up efforts to steal data from tax professionals and scam their clients. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued an identity theft warning indicating that thieves hack into a tax professional’s files, steal sensitive client information and file a tax return in that person’s name. While the money may go to your personal account – reports indicate some amounts are as much as $20,000 – the scammer has plans to impersonate the IRS and collect that money later.

Criminals have rapidly adopted a frightening new scam that could place all law-abiding Arkansans at risk by simply exploiting the trust we all place in law enforcement. Scammers are impersonating law enforcement officers and threatening Arkansans with arrest if they do not immediately pay money. Some scammers tell potential victims that they have failed to appear as a witness and a warrant for their arrest will be issued unless the victim sends a prepaid credit card. Other scammers threaten victims with arrest and deportation if they do not send money.