Does The IRS Contact You By Phone Or Mail | How To Know If The IRS IS Really Calling You
Learn About IRS Scam Calls
Have you recently received a phone call from someone you suspect is an IRS impostor? They might have said that you owe taxes, will be arrested, deported, or have your license revoked. The worst thing that you can do is assume the call was legitimate. It would be best to learn to determine whether the call was genuine. IRS scam calls are, unfortunately, widespread. IRS impersonators are at the top of the IRS’ “Dirty Dozen” list of known tax scams. This particular scam tends to peak in prevalence and frequency in tax season, particularly around tax deadline dates. Keep reading to learn how to detect an IRS scam call and what steps you should take if you receive one;
- Will the IRS Ever Call You?
- How Do IRS Scam Calls Work?
- How to Identify an IRS Phone Scam Call
- What to Do if You Receive an IRS Telephone Scam Call
Will the IRS Ever Call You?
The IRS will never call you to demand payment using a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. Before the IRS ever calls, you would have received a series of mailings using the U.S. Postal Service. They will NEVER email you! Additionally, the IRS will never threaten to arrest you, revoke your business license, or deport you. If you owe a tax debt, an IRS Agent may visit or call your home or business, but they will never ask you to pay anything other than the U.S. Treasury.
How Do IRS Scam Calls Work?
Typically, you will receive an unsolicited phone call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent. Your phone number is likely easy for scammers to obtain. To listen to an example of what an IRS scam call may sound like, listen to this IRS Scam Call
IRS Phone Scam Tactics
The impersonator will likely claim to work for the federal government as an IRS agent. Typically they will accuse you of fraud, misconduct, or having outstanding tax debt. They aim to instill fear to get them to pay a bogus tax bill.
IRS Lawsuit Scam: The imposters typically use intimidation tactics to bully the victim into paying a fraudulent tax debt. The scammer may threaten to immediately have local police or other law enforcement arrest you for not paying taxes. This should be an immediate red flag because the IRS will never make these types of threats.
Unique Characteristics Among these Scams: One unique characteristic among these IRS phone call scams is that the scammer typically demands cash (ussually by a wire transfer, prepaid debit or gift card). The IRS will never request payment by credit or debit card over the phone.
According to fcc.gov, scammers may even threaten to suspend your Social Security Number to get you to pay a fraudulent tax debt.
How Successful are these IRS Phone Scam Calls
These IRS scam calls are frighteningly successful at duping taxpayers into paying a fictitious debt. Between October 2013 and February 2017, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports over 10,000 victims have paid over $54 million due to these phone scammers. The trick to reducing your chances of being scammed is to be able to identify an IRS Scam call.
How to Identify an IRS Phone Scam Call
The key is to be immediately suspicious of any unsolicited call from someone claiming to be an IRS official. You might even receive a robocall leaving a voicemail requesting you urgently return the call. Note: These scammers will frequently alter their caller ID to make it look like a legitimate government agency is calling you. To help spot these IRS scam calls, remember IRS will generally contact you by mail using theU.S. Postal Service to inform you of any outstanding tax debt.
IRS Scam Calls
The IRS scammer will likely be resourceful and prepared with your name, address, and other personal information so that you believe them to be legitimate. To determine whether the potential scammer works for the IRS, ask to get their name and employee ID number. Next, hang up, call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040, and ask if the person is an employee.
What to Do if You Receive an IRS Telephone Scam Call
If you received an unsolicited phone call from someone claiming to be with the government, follow these steps to protect your personal information and report the incident:
- Ask for their name and employee ID number.
- Hang up. Do not give out any of your information, don’t engage, and don’t call the person back.
- If you know you don’t owe any taxes, immediately report the scam to TIGTA by calling 800-366-4484 or going to their IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting webpage.
- Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at FTC.gov using the FTC Complaint Assistant. “Include “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
- If you think you may owe taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 and speak to a worker who can help sort out your situation.
New IRS Scams
To learn about the latest types of scams used to target taxpayers, check out the IRS’ “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams. If you’re nervous about IRS scam calls, consider using Legacy Tax & Resolution Services for greater security when filing your taxes. Using Legacy Tax’s professional tax filing service, you can ensure that your return is filed perfectly and error-free. If you have outstanding tax obligations, we’ll work with you to settle your debt using the best tax resolution option based on your situation. We can help ensure you’re in good standing with the IRS, thus minimizing the chances of getting conned into an IRS phone call scam
IRS Scam Call Victim Aid
If you fall victim to an IRS phone scam, below are a few steps you can take to resolve your situation. First, immediately file a report with TIGTA and file a complaint with the FTC by visiting ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Doing so will cause your complaint to be shared with more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies and an investigation may be opened. If your sensitive data has been stolen, it may take significant time and effort to retrieve what you lost, change your passwords, and update security measures. It would be best if you did everything in your power to avoid falling victim to an IRS phone scam in the first place.