The Internal Revenue Service is warning the public about a nation-wide scam in which con artist are calling victims claiming to represent the IRS and demanding payment of purported taxes.
People throughout the nation have been targeted by the “sophisticated phone scam,” including recent immigrants, IRS officials said in a written statement.
The victims are told they owe money to the IRS, which must be promptly paid via a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer, officials said.
“If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license,” according to the IRS statement. “In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.”
The scammers recite fake names and IRS badge numbers to prospective victims, and sometimes are able to provide the last four digits of the victims social security numbers, authorities added. The crooks have also been known to “spoof” the IRS’s toll-free phone number, making it appear on caller ID as if the call is originating from the IRS.
Some victims also received bogus e-mails purporting to be from the IRS along with the phone calls.
After the initial call, some victims have received follow-up calls from con artists claiming to represent local police or the DMV.
“This scam has hit taxpayers in nearly every state in the country,” IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel said. “Rest assured, we do not and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer.”
“If someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don’t pay immediately, that is a sign that it really isn’t the IRS calling,” Werfel said.
The IRS generally first contacts taxpayers regarding tax issues via the mail, he added.
IRS officials offered several pieces of advice to help avoid becoming a victim of the scam.
Those who believe they actually do owe taxes to the IRS can contact the agency at 800-829-1040 and speak with an IRS employee regarding any potential issues.
Those who suspect trickery and do not believe they owe any taxes are urged to report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.
Taxpayers who believe they’ve been targeted by the scam are also asked to report it to the Federal Trade Commission via the “FTC Complaint Assistant” at www.ftc.gov. Victims are advised to include the phrase “IRS telephone scam” to the comments while filing a complaint.
For more information, visit www.irs.gov.