IRS warns against new tricks by scam artists

With the emergence of new variations of widespread tax scams, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a warning to taxpayers to remain on high alert and protect themselves against the ever-evolving array of deceitful tactics scammers use to trick people. These schemes – which can occur over the phone, in emails or through letters with authentic looking letterhead – try to trick taxpayers into providing personal financial information or scare people into making a false tax payment. This is real - the IRS has received reports of roughly 600,000 contacts since October 2013 and is aware of more than 4,000 victims who have collectively reported over $20 million in financial losses as a result of tax scams.

According to the IRS, these scammers are now targeting virtually anyone. New tricks being perpetrated that you should alert your staff to include:

• Scammers alter what appears on your telephone caller ID to make it appear they are with the IRS or another agency such as the Department of Motor Vehicles.
• Scammers are using fake names, titles and badge numbers, and employ online resources to get your name, address and other details about your life to make the call sound official. They copy official IRS letterhead for use in email or regular mail.
• These scam artists often angrily threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation or other similarly unpleasant things. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests, sometimes through “robo-calls,” via phone or email. The emails will often contain a fake IRS document with a telephone number or email address for your reply.

Below are five things scammers often do that the IRS would never do:

1. Angrily demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.

2. Threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

3. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

4. Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.

5. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
 

Here’s what you should do if you think you’re the target of an IRS impersonation scam:

• If you actually do owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or do not immediately believe that you do, you can report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484.
• If you’ve been targeted by any scam, be sure to contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their FTC Complaint Assistant. Add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.