Don't be a victim: IRS phone scams reaching epidemic proportions
by Terrie Peret
Lake Country Reporter, March 29, 2016
http://www.lakecountrynow.com/news/lakecountryreporter/dont-be-a-victim-irs-phone-scams-reaching-epidemic-proportions-b99696528z1-373867561.html
Have you received a phone call from the Internal Revenue Service claiming
you owe money? If so, you're not alone.
Local police departments and the IRS are putting residents on alert after
receiving hundreds of complaints about these IRS phone scams.
Here's how the scam works:
The caller, who claims to be with the IRS, says you have a tax bill that
must be paid immediately. If you don't pay the bill, police will be sent to
your home within the hour. The callers have also threatened lawsuits,
deportation or license revocation.
The scammers then insist you pay this phony tax bill with a credit card or
some type of prepaid debit card. In some cases, victims are told to meet
someone to hand over the cash, or that a "representative" will be coming to
your home to collect it.
According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration United
States Tax Administration, these scam calls are becoming an epidemic,
robbing taxpayers of millions of dollars every year.
Although you can't stop the scammers from calling you, you can protect
yourself by knowing what the IRS does and doesn't do:
The IRS will never:
·Call to demand immediate payment of a tax bill
·Call about taxes owed without first mailing a bill
·Send emails or texts to taxpayers
·Call to demand payment without the opportunity to question or appeal the
amount owed
·Require the use of a specific method of payment, such as a prepaid debit
card or wire transfer
·Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone
·Threaten to bring in police or local law enforcement to arrest a taxpayer
for not paying
If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS demanding
payment, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has issued
these instructions:
·If you owe federal or back taxes, or you think you might owe taxes, hang up
immediately and call the IRS at (800) 929-1040. IRS representatives will
help you with questions about your payment options.
·If you don't owe taxes, fill out the "IRS impersonation scam" form on
TIGTA's website, www.tigta.gov, or call TIGTA at (800) 366-4484.
·You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at
www.FTC.gov.
If you don't have a computer or think you need immediate help, you can also
call your local police department to report these scam calls.
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