Recently, we've had several calls from clients regarding suspicious phone calls from the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS has issued a consumer alert providing taxpayers with additional tips for protecting themselves from these kinds of telephone scam artists.
These callers may demand money or say you have a refund in an attempt to trick you into sharing private information. The speakers can sound convincing when they call; they may know a lot about you; and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers; and if you don't answer, they often leave an "urgent" callback request.
"These telephone scams are being seen in every part of the country, and we urge people not to be deceived by these threatening phone calls," IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. "We have formal processes in place for people with tax issues. The IRS respects taxpayer rights, and these angry, shake down calls are not how we do business."
The IRS reminds people that they can easily ascertain when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things scammers often do that the IRS never will. Any one of these five things is a telltale sign of a scam. The IRS will never:
- Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice.
- Demand you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here's what you should do:
- If you know you owe taxes or think you might, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.
- If you know you don't owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
- You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose "Other" and then "Imposter Scams." If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.
The IRS does not use unsolicited email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue.
For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type "scam" in the search box. Additional information about tax scams are available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube and Tumblr where people can search "scam" to find all scam-related posts.
As always, please feel free to give us a call with any questions or concerns you may have regarding potential scam phone calls. We're always happy to help!
