

Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam.Ĭall to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Here are some things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, but variations of the IRS impersonation scam continue year-round and they tend to peak when scammers find prime opportunities to strike. The IRS also reminded taxpayers today that scammers change tactics. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official. The callers use IRS employee titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling.
#DOE IRSS CALL YOU SAYING YOU HAVE A WARRANT FOR MY ARRET LICENSE#
They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license of their victim if they don’t get the money. Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via a phishing email. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a wire transfer or a prepaid debit card or gift card, like an iTunes card. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. Scammers make unsolicited calls claiming to be IRS officials. We’d like to thank law-enforcement, tax professionals, consumer advocates, the states, other government agencies, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and many others for helping us continue this fight and protect taxpayers." “Despite recent successes against phone scam artists, these scams constantly evolve and people need to remain vigilant. "Everyone can share the word about scam phone calls- just hang up and don't engage these people," Koskinen said. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports they have become aware of over 10,000 victims who have collectively paid over $54 million as a result of phone scams since October 2013. Many of these con games peak during filing season as people prepare their tax returns or hire someone to do so. The Dirty Dozen is compiled annually by the IRS and lists a variety of common scams taxpayers may encounter any time during the year. We generally initially contact taxpayers by mail." "If you're surprised to get a call from the IRS, it almost certainly isn't the real IRS. "Don't be fooled by surprise phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents with threats or promises of a big refund if you provide them with your private information," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. The IRS reminds taxpayers to guard against all sorts of con games that arise at any time and pick up during tax season. WASHINGTON -Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, remain on the annual "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams for the 2017 filing season, the Internal Revenue Service announced today.ĭuring filing season, the IRS generally sees a surge in scam phone calls that threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other things. Security Summit Identity Theft Tips Overview– English Phone Scams a Serious Threat Remain on the IRS “Dirty Dozen” List of Tax Scams for 2017
