The fake tax notices come by post – authorities are currently warning of a new criminal scam. How can fraud be recognized?
Fraudsters are currently trying to steal money using fake tax notices. In several federal states, the respective state finance offices warn against such letters. The responsible authorities from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland recently announced that recipients would be asked to pay income tax at short notice.
False tax assessments: How does the scam work?
The fraudsters send the fake notices by post. In it they demand additional tax payment by bank transfer. However, the supposed tax assessment is fake.
“Please be vigilant if you do not expect a tax assessment and receive such a letter,” warns the state office in Hanover. The respective tax offices with an incorrect address or the “financial authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany” are stated as the sender.
How can I recognize the fraud?
The term “financial authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany” does not even exist, as the State Office for Taxes and Finance in Saxony writes. So you should be suspicious here. In other letters, a tax office is stated as the sender. Here too, the information is often incorrect: for example, the address of the tax office, the internet address provided or the telephone and fax numbers do not match the location.
In some cases, there is no information on legal remedies or the account details are unusual: for example, a bank based outside the federal state, as the responsible authority in Rhineland-Palatinate writes. The authority also advises: “It is advisable, for example, to compare the tax numbers, the information about the tax office or the external presentation of the notice with previous notices.”
What can I do if I receive mail like this?
Under no circumstances should you transfer the money without checking. If you have any doubts, you should contact the tax office with the decision. If you cannot find the contact details on previous notices, you should look in the telephone book or on the Internet. If the tax assessment is a forgery, we advise you to report it to the police.
I have already transferred – can I get my money back?
Unfortunately, anyone who has fallen for fraudsters has little chance of getting the money transferred back. “A transfer that you have made yourself can no longer be reversed if your bank has already carried out the order. The only thing that can help is a quick call,” explain the consumer advice centers.
Are there any other similar stitches?
Some scammers instead pressure their potential victims with shock calls or write to them via email or text message.
The Schleswig-Holstein State Criminal Police Office warns about emails that are allegedly sent by Elster. Tax returns can be submitted via the Elster online portal. In the fraud cases, however, the emails are fake. They say that you should receive a tax refund. To receive it, you have to follow a link and verify your data there. This is how the fraudsters want to access personal data.
In other cases, manipulated QR codes are used in emails or letters to lead people to fraudulent sites. “These sites often look deceptively real and aim to steal personal data such as passwords, bank details or credit card numbers,” explains the Osnabrück police station. Before scanning a QR code, you should check the writing. If in doubt, you should not enter any personal data on the websites you access.
Source: Stern