IRS PHONE SCAMS ALERT

The IRS just released a warning regarding phone scams, which means its a great time to remind everyone that the IRS will only contact people who owe money by mail.  The only time you would receive a call from the IRS is if after mail contact, and after you have an agent assigned to your case.  Remember, you would know who that person is, prior to them calling.  The IRS also does not send emails to you unless again, prior contact has been made.  In general the IRS does not contact people "out of the blue" except via mail.  So if it is not by mail and you are not expecting to hear from the IRS, then it is a scam.    Thus be smart and be aware of scammers who use the IRS to try and scare people into giving out personal information. Also if you have any questions please ask us if it is valid or not, we are more than happy to let you know. 

Here is the warning taken directly from the IRS alert:

IRS Warns of Phone Scam

The IRS is warning the public about a phone scam that targets people across the nation, including recent immigrants. Callers claiming to be from the IRS tell intended victims they owe taxes and must pay using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The scammers threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver’s license.

The callers who commit this fraud often:

• Use common names and fake IRS badge numbers.
• Know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number.
• Make caller ID appear as if the IRS is calling.
• Send bogus IRS emails to support their scam.
• Call a second time claiming to be the police or DMV, and caller ID again supports their claim.

The truth is the IRS usually first contacts people by mail – not by phone – about unpaid taxes. And the IRS won’t ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The agency also won’t ask for a credit card number over the phone.

If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment, here’s what to do:

• If you owe federal taxes, or think you might owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with your payment questions.
• If you don’t owe taxes, call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.
• You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov. Add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments in your complaint.

Be alert for phone and email scams that use the IRS name. The IRS will never request personal or financial information by email, texting or any social media. You should forward scam emails to phishing@irs.gov. Don’t open any attachments or click on any links in those emails.
Read more about tax scams on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov