Scammers posing as IRS agents have separated unsuspecting victims from upwards of $20 million over the past few years, according to federal officials. They may call, email or send a letter threatening arrest, deportation or license revocation unless immediate payment of back taxes is made.
Scammers 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.
The official IRS website is IRS.gov. Consumers are urged not to be misled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in .com, .net, .org or other designations. Additionally, personal information about finances or otherwise should never be shared with websites or strangers calling out of the blue.
It is important to remember the official IRS website is IRS.gov. Taxpayers are urged not to be confused or misled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. Taxpayers should never provide personal information, financial or otherwise, to suspicious websites or strangers calling out of the blue.
IRS officials note representatives of the agency will never demand immediate payment over the phone and will not call about taxes owed without first mailing you a bill. They also will not threaten you with arrest for non-payment or demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. IRS officials will not require you to use a specific payment method like a prepaid debit card for your taxes or ask for credit or debit card numbers over the telephone.
Taxpayers who think they may actually owe money should call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. If you know you don’t owe taxes, report any scam attempts to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by calling 1-800-366-4484.
If you’ve been targeted by any scam, be sure to contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their FTC Compliant Assistant at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint. Visit IRS.gov and type “scam” into the search box for more information about how to report tax scams.
