September 2015

IRS Warning about Phone Scams

Each tax season, the IRS publishes a list of the "Dirty Dozen" tax scams to be aware of for the current year. Phone scams continued to be at the top of the list in 2015. Phone scams are calls by criminals that threaten police arrest, deportation, and license revocation. These scam artists are able to alter caller ID numbers and use bogus IRS badges to appear to be from the IRS.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received reports of roughly 600,000 false contacts since October 2013. TIGTA is also aware of nearly 4,000 victims who have collectively reported over $20 million in financial losses as a result of tax scams.

According to the IRS, below are five things that scammers often do that the IRS would never do.

The IRS will never:

Angrily demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
Demand that 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.

Also, remember the IRS does not use email, text messages or social media to contact you regarding your personal tax issues.

Please contact us if you ever receive communication from someone claiming to be the IRS and are unsure of its authenticity. Click here for the latest information from the IRS regarding these phone scams.

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