Buzz
Scam season is here with tax time. You may get a phone call, email, or even a social media message from someone pretending to be the IRS, making threats to send the sheriff (as experienced by Mytour staffers) unless you pay immediately.
The IRS has repeatedly cautioned about the increasing number of scams attempting to steal your identity. While most of these occur through online phishing, phone-based scams are still widespread. Fraudulent callers pose as IRS agents, using fabricated names and badge numbers, even managing to manipulate the caller ID to look like it's the IRS. Some scams also involve people pretending to be your bank or a tax professional.
But rest assured: The IRS will never be calling you, especially not to threaten you with legal action or demand payment on the spot. As stated on their official website, “the IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.”
This guide explains that the IRS will never do the following:
Call demanding instant payment via specific methods such as prepaid debit cards, iTunes gift cards, or wire transfers.
Request that you make a payment to anyone other than the U.S. Treasury.
Threaten to call local authorities or law enforcement to arrest you for failing to pay.
Require that taxes be paid without allowing you to question or appeal the amount owed.
One of the latest phone scams involves a caller claiming they can suspend or cancel your Social Security Number. A recent email phishing scam tricks users with subject lines like “Automatic Income Tax Reminder” or “Electronic Tax Return Reminder,” enticing them to click on a harmful link to “access” their tax return or account.
Usually, the IRS will contact you via traditional mail and will send multiple notices regarding any issues you need to address. While the IRS does make phone calls, they are uncommon. If they do visit you in person, the agent “will always present two official forms of identification: a pocket commission and a personal identity verification (PIV) credential.”
If you receive an email that seems like a phishing attempt, you can forward it to [email protected]. You can also report suspicious phone calls and letters to the same address. Additionally, you can file a report with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, a website that might seem outdated, but it is, in fact, authentic.
This article was first published in 2018 and updated in February 2020 with new details.
