The IRS is warning the public about a phone scam that targets people across the nation, including recent immigrants.
Callers claiming to be from the IRS tell intended victims they owe taxes and must pay using a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The scammers threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver’s license.
Locally, police say they have not received reports of people being taken in by this particular scheme, although the departments do keep abreast of new attempts to scam citizens out of money.
According to the IRS, the callers who commit this latest fraud often:
* Use common names and fake IRS badge numbers.
* Know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number.
* Make caller ID appear as if the IRS is calling.
* Send bogus IRS emails to support their scam.
* Call a second time claiming to be the police or DMV, and caller ID again supports their claim.
The truth is, the IRS usually first contacts people by mail, not by phone, about unpaid taxes, the government agency said. The IRS won’t ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The agency also won’t ask for a credit card number over the phone.
According to an IRS news release, anyone getting a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment, should:
* Hang up and call the IRS at 800-829-1040 if you owe federal taxes, or think you might owe taxes. IRS workers can help with payment questions.
* Call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484, if you don’t owe taxes.
* File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov. Add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments in your complaint.
Be alert for phone and email scams that use the IRS name, the government agency advises. The IRS will never request personal or financial information by email, texting or any social media. Forward scam emails to phishing@irs.gov. Don’t open any attachments or click on any links in those emails.
You can read more about tax scams on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.
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