Buzz
You might assume that once tax season is over, IRS scammers would disappear, but that's not true. They're still very active, and now they're trying to deceive college students into paying a so-called “federal student tax.” This tax doesn’t exist.
The IRS issued a warning about this scam in a recent statement, saying:
In this latest version of the scam, the fraudsters push victims to send money right away. If the target doesn't act quickly enough, they threaten to have the student arrested for not paying the non-existent “federal student tax.”
These scams keep evolving across the country, with students now being specifically targeted,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Taxpayers need to stay alert and avoid falling for these aggressive calls demanding instant payments for an imaginary tax debt.”
Along with the student tax scam, here are a few more deceptive tactics to be aware of:
Demanding immediate payment for taxes using an iTunes gift card.
Requesting W-2 information from payroll departments (IR-2016-34)
“Confirming” tax return details via phone calls (IR-2016-40)
Email scams impersonating tax preparation companies (IR-2016-28)
As the IRS warns, they will never call you to demand immediate payment. If the IRS needs to contact you regarding unpaid taxes, you will first receive a written bill. If you get one of these phone calls, the IRS advises you to report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) via their IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting page or call 800-366-4484.
Image by Francisco Osorio
