Scam Alert – Taxes

One of our staff members recently received an automated phone message from someone claiming to represent the IRS.  The message instructed her to call back regarding a claim that had been filed against her.   She returned the call.

The "agent" that answered her call gave her lots of different, professional sounding credentials: agent number, IRS group number and his extension number in case they were disconnected.

The agent claimed that she has purposely defrauded the government through incorrectly filed tax returns and owed the IRS more than $3,000.  The agent continued to give her court hearing times and the threat that if she did not show up in court, her information would be released.  Thankfully, our smart staff member knew that this could not be true.

Scams impersonating the IRS and other government agencies have been around for years.  Staying alert to these scams can protect you, your assets and your reputation.  In this case, our staffer knew that the IRS will not:

• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.

Phone scams first tried to sting older people, new immigrants to the U.S. and those who speak English as a second language. Now the crooks try to swindle just about anyone. And they’ve ripped-off people in every state in the nation. If you receive one of these calls,

• Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
• Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.

Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.