Pros and Conning

How are so many people falling victim to the same trap?

Happening in every state and at a rapid pace, callers are claiming to be from the IRS, telling victims they owe money for unpaid taxes and must pay using a prepaid debt card or wire transfer. The recipient is then threatened with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver’s license. These scams artists typically know information that lends to their credibility, such as the last four digits of the taxpayer’s Social Security number. Additionally, they call from a number that mimics that of the IRS. There are even a few reports of taxpayers receiving followup calls from the police and emails that appeared to be signed by IRS officials.

Any one of these tell-tale signs should immediately alert you to a scam. Remember: The IRS will never:

› Call to demand immediate payment or call about taxes owed without first having mailed a bill

› 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

Help! I’ve received a fraudulent phone call!

At the hint of a tax scam, here’s what you should do:

› If you owe federal taxes or think you may owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS directly at

(800) 829-1040. The IRS workers can help solve the issue.

› If you don’t owe taxes, call and report the incident to the U.S. Treasury inspector general of tax administration at (800) 366-4484 or at tigta.gov

› File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov

Add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the notes section of the complaint.

› If you get an email that’s ostensibly from the IRS, do not open any attachments or click on any links in the email. Send it to phishing@irs.gov

Please note the IRS will never use unsought email, text messages or any forms of social media to discuss your personal tax issue.

Sources: irs.gov, cbsnews.com