Many people are afraid of the IRS.
There are criminals who are taking advantage of this fear.
“These callers may demand money or may say you have a refund due and try to trick you into sharing private information. These con artists 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. If you don’t answer, they often leave an “urgent” callback request.”
Source IRS – Scam Phone Calls Continue; IRS Identifies Five Easy Ways to Spot Suspicious Calls
The IRS has listed 5 ways to verify that the conartist is a fake IRS agent.
1 click resources. Call to demand immediate payment is a phone scam.
The IRS corresponds with taxpayers via mail.
You may either receive a standard letter or a certified letter from the IRS.
2. Demand payment without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed is a phone scam.
The IRS gives you an opportunity to answer any correspondence received with a date attached that it should be answered or payment made.
3. Require you to use a specific payment method is a phone scam.
The example the article uses is asking you to pay with a prepaid debt card.
The IRS allows options to pay your tax liability.
They will not ask you to pay a certain way.
4. Ask for your credit card information over the phone is a phone scam.
No IRS employee will ask you to provide this information.
In order to make payments online you will be required to register an account and then provide your information.
5. Threaten to have you arrested by the local police or other agencies if you do not pay immediately is a phone scam.
The IRS will not have your local police department come to arrest you.
“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 owe, 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.”
Never give your personal information to someone calling you on the phone.
Remember that the IRS will not call you unless you request to be contacted by them.
The normal correspondence for the IRS is via the United States Postal Service.
Your Tax and Financial Coach,
Paulette Marshall