JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Internal Revenue Service is warning taxpayers of phone scammers, heading into the 2016 tax filing season.
The IRS says they it has seen a surge in phone scams wherein which criminals call and impersonate IRS agents and threaten citizens with arrest, deportation, license revocation and other things.
“Taxpayers across the nation face a deluge of these aggressive phone scams. Don’t be fooled by callers pretending to be from the IRS in an attempt to steal your money,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “We continue to say if you are surprised to be hearing from us, then you’re not hearing from us.”
The Treasury inspector general for tax administration said in January that the IRS has received almost 900,000 contacts since October 2013 and over 5,000 victims who have collectively paid over $26.5 million as a result of the scam.
The IRS wants to remind taxpayers that it will never:
• Call to demand immediate payment, nor will it call about taxes owed without first mailing a bill.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving the opportunity to question or appeal the amount that it says you owe.
• Require you use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in local police of other law enforcement to have you arrested for not paying.
If you receive a call from scammers, the IRS urges you to report it to the TIGTA and the Federal Trade Commission.
If you owe or think you may owe taxes, you can call the IRS at 800-829-1041, and IRS workers will help.