IRS scammers: they are very convincing when they call. They have a Washington phone number and can cite your financial history.
They say you are under investigation, in danger of losing your home, or worse, your freedom (jail time)– unless you pay thousands of dollars on the spot.
But they are not real. And you are not in trouble. Not unless you take it seriously. This is a scam.
A big scam. Federal authorities say it is the largest IRS impersonation scam they have ever seen — swindling victims out of more than $15 million since it began in 2013.
“They have information that only the Internal Revenue Service would know about you,” said Timothy Camus, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations with the Treasury Department. “It’s a byproduct of today’s society. There’s so much information available on individuals.”
Using identity theft technology, the thieves have successfully victimized more than 3,000 people in the past two years, although the Treasury Department cautions that the number is only documented cases and the true number might be higher. Camus said they have recorded more than 366,000 reports of contact with the scammers, and it is increasing at a rate of 10,000 to 12,000 a week.
Authorities believe the thieves are operating out of India, using phishing technology to make it appear they are IRS agents in Washington.
Here is the IRS guidance on the scam.
Things the IRS will never do:
- Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you 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.
Things you should do if you are targeted by the scammers:
- If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS representatives can help you with a payment issue.
- If you know you do not owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
If you have been targeted by this scam, also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.
Finally, share the facts with everyone you know so they will not become targets either.
