BEWARE “IRS Phone Scam”

All Taxpayers need to be aware that tax scammers keep scamming after April 15.  The IRS even urges, “taxpayers to stay vigilant against calls from scammers impersonating the IRS.”

These scammers call and threaten you with arrest, deportation, or revocation of your driver’s or other professional license if you don’t make immediate payment on an overdue tax bill.  The caller display may even say Internal Revenue Service.  These scammers often use fake IRS titles and badge numbers so they sound legitimate.

For now, the IRS will not:

  • Initiate contact with you by telephone, without first notifying you by mail
  • Demand immediate payment without informing you about your appeal rights
  • Ask for a credit or debit card number
  • Threaten arrest

If you get one of these “Scam IRS” calls:

  • HANG UP! (Do not provide any information!)
  • Go to irs.gov and click on the “Beware of Tax Scams” link.  You can report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page and to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov