On the last blog post, we urged you to watch out for the signs of identity theft. We want to continue to help protect you with scanning for scams this summer. 

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen says: “We continue to urge people to watch out for new and evolving schemes this summer… Taxpayers can avoid these and other tricky financial scams by taking a few minutes to review the tell-tale signs on these schemes:” 

EFTPS Scam

A new scam which (linked to the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) has been reported nationwide. Con artists call taxpayers, claim to be from the IRS, say they tried to send certified letters and were returned undeliverable, and demand immediate tax payment. The con artist will then threaten to arrest the taxpayer if they do not pay from a specific prepaid debit card and are told this is linked to EFTPS.  Victims are warned not to talk to us as their tax preparer, their attorney, or the local IRS office until they pay.

Robo-call Messages

The IRS does not have prerecorded messages to leave. Scammers will leave prerecorded messages telling victims that if they do not call back, they can be arrested. They are also told they must pay by a specific prepaid debit card or wire transfer.

Private Debt Collection

Be on the lookout for scammers pretending to be private collection firms. The IRS-authorized firms will only be calling about a tax debt the person has had and is aware of, for years. The IRS would have previously contacted taxpayers about this tax debt.

Scams Targeting People with Limited English Proficiency

Those who have limited English proficiency have been targeted for phone and email scams. These con artists will approach taxpayers in their native language and then threaten them with deportation, as well as arrest. They then demand payment.

It’s a scam when…

The IRS (and its authorized private collection agencies) will never:

  • Call to demand immediate payment through use of a specific payment method (i.e: prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer). The IRS does not use these methods for tax payments. They will typically mail a bill and payments will only be made to the U.S Treasury – never third parties. 
  • Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying right away.
  • Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
  • Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

If you don’t owe taxes and are being contacted…

  • Do not give out any information and hang up immediately.
  • Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report the call. 
  • Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. 

Stay cool, and safe, this summer. 

 

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News Source: https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/irs-cautions-taxpayers-to-watch-for-summertime-scams