The IRS recently issued a bulletin warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for scam artists impersonating the IRS. These scammers have been resorting to increasingly aggressive scare tactics, such as threatening arrest or deportation unless they receive immediate payment. They may leave urgent callback requests, or use emails that contain fake IRS documents, along with a reply phone number or email address. Scammers are also altering their caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling, and use the information they obtain online to make it sound official. They may even copy official IRS letterhead to make an email or regular mail request for payment look legitimate.
As explained by the IRS website, the real IRS will not:
- The IRS will not call you about your tax bill without first sending you a bill in the mail.
- Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount that you owe.
- Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card or any specific type of tender.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.
- Threaten you with a lawsuit.
- Source: https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts
If you think you have been a victim of an attempted scam, be sure to hang up immediately, and report the incident to the US Treasury using the “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. To read the IRS’s entire bulletin, click here. If you have any questions, please contact our offices at 561-624-2118.