The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
(TIGTA), which oversees the IRS, has received reports of 290,000 scam
calls since October 2013 and said nearly 3,000 victims have been swindled out
of $14 million so far.
By altering their caller ID number to make it look like they're calling from an IRS office, these scammers often threaten vulnerable people like the elderly and business owners with threats like arrest or loss of business if they don't pay immediately for money purportedly owed.
Often leaving messages that say it's "urgent" you call them back, the scammers use common names and sometimes say they are from the IRS Criminal Division. They may even claim to know the last four digits of your Social Security number and send follow-up emails that appear to be from the IRS, TIGTA said. They often demand that payments be made by prepaid debit card or money order.
The real IRS will usually contact you by regular mail first,
if it needs to contact you at all. The
agency never demands immediate payment by phone or asks for credit card or debit
numbers if they do call. It also never asks for personal or financial
information by email, text or social media.
If you get what you suspect is a scam call, report it to TIGTA through its website or call 800-366-4484. Only contact your local police department if you have provided funds and need a report.
