Bill Text: NJ SR40 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges federal Internal Revenue Service to devote additional resources to combat recent surge in tax-related scams that seek to defraud unsuspecting taxpayers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-03-25 - Filed with Secretary of State [SR40 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-SR40-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Urges federal Internal Revenue Service to devote additional resources to combat recent surge in tax-related scams that seek to defraud unsuspecting taxpayers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution urging the federal Internal Revenue Service to devote additional resources to combat the recent surge in tax-related scams that seek to defraud unsuspecting taxpayers.
Whereas, The federal Internal Revenue Service has reported a recent surge in tax-related scams that seek to defraud unsuspecting taxpayers; and
Whereas, These tax-related scams typically involve criminal conspirators and other scammers who make or send unsolicited phone calls, text messages, or emails claiming to be agents working on behalf of the federal Internal Revenue Service; and
Whereas, The scammers impersonating federal agents demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill to settle an unpaid tax liability, and often con the victim into making payment on the bogus bill by using threats of arrest, deportation, license revocation, or the seizure of valuable assets; and
Whereas, In a recent report to the United States Congress, the federal Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration indicated that between October 2013 and March 2016, the inspector general received more than one million contacts from taxpayers nationally who reported that they had received telephone calls from individuals who claimed to be employees of the federal Internal Revenue Service; and
Whereas, The inspector general's report to Congress also indicated that during that same period of time more than 5,700 victims nationally reported that they had paid impersonators a total of $31 million, and in New Jersey alone more than 300 victims reported paying a total of $1.47 million stemming from these tax-related scams; and
Whereas, To combat the recent surge and protect taxpayers from becoming victims in the future, the inspector general has established an "advise and disrupt" approach to the scams that advises the scammers that their activity is fraudulent and criminal and shuts down the modes of communication that are used to perpetuate the scams; and
Whereas, The inspector general has also sought to combat the surge by using traditional media to inform taxpayers about the dangers posed by the scams and by working with partners in the public and private sectors to remind taxpayers to remain on "high alert" during tax filing season when attempts by impersonators to contact taxpayers are at their peak; and
Whereas, Despite these efforts, additional federal resources are needed to combat the surge, especially in New Jersey and other states in which large populations of seniors and recent immigrants have been the preferred target of these tax-related scams and other similar fraudulent schemes due to their perceived vulnerability and fear of reporting the abuses to the appropriate authorities; and
Whereas, The additional federal resources could be used to more fully understand the extent of the problem, to better identify the individuals and criminal organizations responsible for perpetuating the scams, and to develop more viable methods for informing New Jersey's seniors and immigrant communities about the dangers posed by the scams and how to report suspected threats; now therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. The federal Internal Revenue Service is urged to devote additional resources to New Jersey and other states in which large populations of seniors and recent immigrants have been the preferred target of a recent surge in tax-related scams perpetrated by criminal conspirators and other scammers who make or send unsolicited phone calls, text messages, or emails claiming to be agents working on behalf of the federal Internal Revenue Service in an effort to con victims into making payment on bogus tax bills.
2. The additional resources could be used to more fully understand the extent of the problem, to better identify the individuals and criminal organizations responsible for perpetuating the scams, and to develop more viable methods for informing New Jersey's seniors and recent immigrants about the dangers posed by the scams and how to report suspected threats.
3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, each member of Congress elected from this State, and the Commissioner of the federal Internal Revenue Service.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the federal Internal Revenue Service to devote additional resources to New Jersey and other states in which large populations of seniors and recent immigrants have been the preferred target of a recent surge in tax-related scams perpetrated by criminal conspirators and other scammers who make or send unsolicited phone calls, text messages, or emails claiming to be agents working on behalf of the federal Internal Revenue Service in an effort to con victims into making payment on bogus tax bills. The additional resources could be used to more fully understand the extent of the problem, to better identify the individuals and criminal organizations responsible for perpetuating the scams, and to develop more viable methods for informing New Jersey's seniors and recent immigrants about the dangers posed by the scams and how to report suspected threats.
