IRS Tax Scam There is a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, throughout the country. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Rest assured, the IRS does not and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do: • If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue – if there really is such an issue. • If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, youve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then report the incident online at treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 22:13:08 +0000