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Beware of IRS tax scams from aggressive callers

scam-alertWASHINGTON, D.C. – Tax season is upon us, and wanting are going out as aggressive scam artists are making phone calls to citizens as IRS agents and demanding payments.

Just this week, an Iowa police department warned of “numerous calls from citizens stating they have received a phone call from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). The caller stated the IRS will file a law suit against them if they do not take action. They are instructed to call a phone number to settle the grievance with the IRS.”

The IRS refers to this tactic as an “IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scam”.  That agency describes the scam this way:

An aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS, but are not. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.

Or, victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information.

If the phone isn’t answered, the scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request.

Note that the IRS will never: 1) call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; 2) demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; 3) require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; 4) ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or 5) threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

 

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