IRS Warns of Impersonation Telephone Scam

The Internal Revenue Service recently highlighted an aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, that 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. The latest variation being seen in the last few weeks tries to play off the current tax season. Scam artists call saying they have your tax return, and they just need to verify a few details to process your return. The scam tries to get you to give up personal information such as a Social Security number or personal financial information, such as bank numbers or credit cards.

If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an "urgent" callback request.

"These schemes continue to adapt and evolve in an attempt to catch people off guard just as they are preparing their taxreturns," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "Don't be fooled. The IRS won't be calling you out of the blue asking you to verify your personal tax information or aggressively threatening you to make an immediate payment."

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.

The IRS has information online (www.irs.gov) that provides additional details and can help protect taxpayers from phone
scams.
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