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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Coronavirus Doesn't Stop Tax Scams in Nevada

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Friday, March 13, 2020   

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Amidst fears over the new coronavirus, it's tax time. And both issues require vigilance when it comes to protecting yourself against scammers.

Darrellyn Bonstell is an arbitration specialist with the Better Business Bureau in southern Nevada and says scammers hoping to steal a person's tax refund often send emails that look legitimate and include an Internal Revenue Service logo. She reminds taxpayers that the IRS does not send emails.

Even more common, says Bonstell, is a frightening phone call from a scammer claiming to be an IRS agent who says the police are about to arrest you over unpaid taxes.

"They threaten arrest if you don't pay it immediately," says Bonstell. "They'll ask you to pay for it with iTunes cards, or gift cards of some kind. Those are all typically red flags."

Bonstell says scammers often target seniors, because they believe they have a nest egg they can tap into.

In a 2018 study, the Federal Trade Commission reported receiving tens of thousands of incidents of tax-related fraud. The study showed Florida, Georgia, Nevada and California to be the states most targeted by fraud or identity theft.

This time of year, it's especially important to be wary of phone calls from a number you don't recognize, because as Bonstell points out, if it's important, the person will leave a message.

She also notes that scammers take a unique approach each year.

"And there's a new twist coming out in 2020, calling and saying that they need to update your information in order for you to get your refund," says Bonstell. "Again, that is a scam. The IRS will never call a person and ask for their personal information over the phone - ever."

Last year, six Las Vegas residents were charged with running a fraudulent mass-mailing scheme that tricked hundreds of thousands of people into paying more than $10 million in fees for falsely promised cash prizes, according to the Department of Justice.

If you think someone has tried to scam you out of money, you can report it, at IRS.gov.


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