SCAM!!! Beware EIN Numbers

Having started a number of businesses, I, too, have been the target of a collection of different scams. Whether in form of websites, emails, letters or phone calls they all looked or sounded very official and professional.

In this blog, I will share my experiences with you, one scam a time.

EIN Number Scam:

The first thing you need to do when registering a business is to get a EIN number: an Employer Identification Number, unique to you, provided by the Internal Revenue Services (IRS).

EIN numbers are FREE: indeed, and as suspicious as it sounds, there are still FREE things you can get. Well not exactly, since this is the number you will use to pay your taxes. But to get your EIN number, you don’t have to pay. Just go to the IRS website, it is actually very easy to apply and you get your number online right away. For your convenience, the link is listed below:

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

Notice that all valid government websites have an extension of .gov. If it does not end with a “.gov”, it is not an official governmental website. That simple!

But if you search online for EIN number application, a number of websites “offering the service” will charge you between $130 to $200 for it. It is not verified that you will ever receive a real EIN number through these “services”. There is no advantage whatsoever to use a paying service. AVOID the few ones below :

docyoufile

govdocfiling

ein-gov.us

irs-ein-number

Be very careful! Because they will ask you for your social security number and credit card information, and with that they could do big harm!