01/03/2019- As state income tax season approaches in Michigan, the state’s Department of Treasury is reminding residents to be on the looking out for 2019 tax scams. Cybercriminal activity typically increases in the first part of the year through phone scams and email phishing schemes as scammers attempt to gain personal information so they can file tax returns and claim refunds on behalf of unsuspecting victims. Other scammers allege victims owe taxes and aggressively demand immediate payment. The Department of Treasury says they will never initiate a phone call or email to ask residents for personal information or demand immediate payment using a specific payment method. They also do not threaten to arrest taxpayers or request credit or debit card numbers over the phone. Anyone who suspects they’ve been contacted by a scammer should immediately hang up or delete the suspicious email. These scam attempts should also be reported to the IRS online or by calling 800-366-4484.