By Pam Ness
As tax time approaches, we need to stay alert about protecting the seniors in our lives from falling prey to IRS phone scams, which continue to remain a serious problem across the country. The IRS and law enforcement officers warn that these scams are ongoing, and many vulnerable people get victimized into parting with large sums of money.
Victims often receive an aggressive phone call or robocall from someone claiming to be an agent from the IRS, often who identify themselves with the title of “officer”, demanding payment for a false tax bill. These callers often intimidate and bully callers into wiring money or paying these sums with prepaid debit cards. Tactics have gotten quite sophisticated, with Washington D.C. telephone area codes showing up on a phone’s caller ID, providing false badge numbers, and armed with some of the victim’s personal information. These criminals may threaten arrest, deportation, or revoking of licenses, if an individual doesn’t comply with their request.
The IRS recently identified a new version of deception over the past months, with a scheme of calls under the guise of verifying tax information over the phone. These scammers may say they have received one’s return, and just need to verify a few personal details before the return can be processed, attempting to access Social Security numbers and bank account or credit card information.
It is important to closely monitor and remind our vulnerable loved ones to be vigilant about keeping their personal information and money secure from criminals. They should immediately hang up the phone without giving out any information if they are contacted. According to the IRS website, the IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you several bills.
- Call or email you to verify your identity by asking for personal and financial information.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or e-mail.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you discover fraudulent contact or are a victim of IRS phone scams, the IRS recommends:
- Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
- Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
- Call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. Authentic IRS workers can help you.