ATLANTA – With many Americans minds on Valentine’s Day, special agents at IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office want to remind them to be vigilant against becoming a victim of romance scams.
“Valentine’s Day provides a timely reminder for the public to not fall prey to criminals using love to scam their way into their victims’ hearts for monetary gain” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office. “To avoid becoming a victim, people need to be aware of the telltale signs that they are being manipulated.”
Tips to avoid romance scams
- Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.
- Be careful what you post and make public online. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.
- Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere.
- Go slowly and ask lots of questions.
- Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to communicate directly.
- Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.
- Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious.
“Many of these scammers do not act alone and in many cases are part of a criminal enterprise dealing in other illicit activities such as human trafficking, gambling and loansharking,” Hardeman said.
Victims of a romance scam can contact local law enforcement or the IRS CI Atlanta Field Office at atlantafieldoffice@ci.irs.gov.
The IRS can also be reached for specific questions at its Clarksdale help number at (844) 545-5640.
The IRS and its agents in Mississippi and Clarksdale urge those who may know of fraud related to CARES Act funding or any alleged tax fraud to contact them immediately. Anyone who suspects tax fraud can report it to the IRS Tax Fraud Referral Hotline at 800-829-0433. The IRS offers rewards for those who report tax fraud that results in a conviction. All calls to the IRS are confidential.
The IRS opened offices in Clarksdale in March 2022 and they are located in the Federal Building in Downtown Clarksale.
In 2022, the Justice Department announced the establishment of three strike force teams to enhance the Department’s existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19-related fraud.
The Strike Force teams are comprised of prosecutors and agents from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
According to the IRS 75 percent of tax cheating is done by individuals.
CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a nearly 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad. Atlanta Field Office covers the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. You can reach the Atlanta Field Office at atlantafieldoffice@ci.irs.gov.
