The IRS Phone Scam is back, full force and effect. I’ve already received 3 calls from these people since April 15th.
One message sounded like SIRI was calling and threatening me with tax fines. Another message was left by someone claiming to be an “IRS Agent” with an “official badge numbers” and everything. The last message I received sounded like someone was talking either through a speaker phone or a megaphone.
Rest Assured…THIS IS A SCAM!!
For the past 3 weeks, I have received almost a phone call a day from clients asking if this is a scam or not. These people sound very convincing and they’re clever not to ask for personal information over the phone.
As the IRS Commissioner has stated, “These telephone scams are being seen in every part of the country, and we urge people not to be deceived by these threatening phone calls. We have formal processes in place for people with tax issues. The IRS respects taxpayer rights, and these angry, shake-down calls are not how we do business.”
_______________
The IRS reminds people that they can know pretty easily when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam. The IRS will never:
- Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
For more information directly from the IRS, cut and paste the following link in your browser:
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Scam-Phone-Calls-Continue;-IRS-Identifies-Five-Easy-Ways-to-Spot-Suspicious-Calls
–Updated July 28, 2015