People are getting tired of scam artists.
Whether it's a bogus call from the IRS or an email from a foreign lottery, more and more people are skeptical of what they hear or read.
And that can be a problem. Raphael Tulino with the IRS said some people are ignoring legitimate letters coming from the federal government.
"It's asking you to verify your identity," said Tulino. "It is a legit letter."
That IRS letter is the 5071 C asking people to verify their identity before getting their tax refund.
Since scam artists have been filing phony tax returns to get refunds, the IRS has been trying to make sure the refunds go into the right hands.
That 5071 C letter asks people to go to the IRS website to continue the refund process. But some people are ignoring the letter thinking it is a scam.
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"We're trying to help you," said Tulino.
Sheryl Reichert with the San Diego Better Business Bureau admits it is sometimes hard to determine what is real and what is not.
"It is very difficult these days to tell the difference between something that's actually sent from the government and something that's sent from a marketing firm or a con man," said Reichert.
And it's not just IRS letters that are getting passed over. Automotive recall letters are sometimes viewed with skepticism since some companies make look alike notices to solicit business.
"Unfortunately that's causing us to tend to throw mail out that might be actually significant or important," said Reichert.
The key is to verify emails, phone calls and letters. Don't feel pressured or rushed since scam artists often try to pressure people into making quick decisions.
Anyone who asks for personal information or money should also be looked at with a healthy dose of skepticism.
If the correspondence is asking for money through Western Union or a GreenDot card, there is a good chance it is coming from a scam artists.
