Watch Out for These Scam Tactics
Scammers and identity thieves will use email, phone calls, and text messages to try to trick you into giving information. Understanding how scammers operate will help you avoid sharing information with the wrong people.
Scammers will create a sense of urgency to get you to respond. Don’t be pressured into making a decision, slow down and be suspicious.
They will also ask for information that they should already know. Your bank will have your account number, they should never ask for it. The IRS knows your social security number, they should never request it. The most important thing to remember is to never give out personal or financial information unless you initiated the contact or can confirm the requester’s identity.
Avoid clicking on links in texts or other messages and examine emails with links very closely before clicking. When in doubt always go directly to the site or app.
How to Identify CDOR Imposter Scams
Telephone Scam
The Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) would like to alert taxpayers of a possible telephone scam from a party fraudulently representing themselves as the Colorado Department of Revenue. The caller may identify themselves as the "State Tax Investigation Department." They will state that you may have a legal case filed against your name and Social Security number, have violated banking regulations, or have cheated on tax credits. They will ask you to wire them a large sum of money, usually through a convenience store debit/credit card, and will require you not to tell anyone or take the matter to court.
This is NOT a call from the Colorado Department of Revenue. CDOR does not contact taxpayers over the telephone and request credit card numbers through a pre-paid debit/credit card to pay an outstanding tax balance. When a taxpayer owes state taxes, the Department will send a written notification through a series of letters mailed to the taxpayer's address. When the taxpayer does not respond, the Tax Auditing and Compliance Division will attempt to collect the outstanding debt.
Do not send any party money who claims they can clear up a tax issue with a gift card or pre-paid debit/credit card.
Email Scam
Email messages from the Colorado Department of Revenue never have personally identifiable or financial information in the messages. In order to verify financial information with the Department, a taxpayer is required to log onto Revenue Online, the state's free tax filing and account management web service. Any email messages submitted through Revenue Online between the Department and the taxpayer are secure. Responses between the taxpayer and the department occur within the Revenue Online service.
CDOR does not send general tax information by email. Note that a legitimate email message from the Department will be from a State of Colorado email address (@state.co.us).