- December 25, 2024
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The Internal Revenue Service has released a statement asking consumers to beware of callers identifying themselves as IRS employees and asking for payment by pre-paid debit card or money transfer.
“The IRS has seen a recent increase in local phone scams across the country, with callers pretending to be from the IRS in hopes of stealing money or identities from victims,” according to a statement on irs.gov.
Scammers sometimes use fake IRS badge numbers, and might know the last four digits of a victim’s social security number, according to the statement. Some can imitate IRS toll-free numbers on caller ID.
“Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license,” according to the statement.
Some callers call back later pretending to be from the police department or the department of motor vehicles.
People who get a phone call from someone who says they’re from the IRS should call the IRS at 800-829-1040 if they owe taxes or think they might, according to the statement.
People who get such a call but know or believe that they don’t owe taxes should report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484, according to the statement.
For more information on tax-related scams, click here.
For more information about identity protection, click here.
