The Internal Revenue Service this week issued a warning to taxpayers to stay vigilant against an increase of IRS impersonation scams in the form of automated calls and new tactics from scammers demanding tax payments on iTunes and other gift cards.
The IRS says it has seen an increase in “robo-calls” where scammers leave urgent callback requests telling taxpayers to call back to settle their “tax bill.” These fake calls generally claim to be the last warning before legal action is taken. Once the victim calls back, the scammers may threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license of the victim if they don’t agree to pay.
“It used to be that most of these bogus calls would come from a live-person,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen in a press release. “Scammers are evolving and using more and more automated calls in an effort to reach the largest number of victims possible.”
Lately, impersonators are demanding payments on iTunes and other gift cards. The agency says any request to settle a tax bill by putting money on any form of gift card is a clear indication of a scam.
Other examples of varied tactics utilized by scammers this year are:
- Demanding payment for a “Federal Student Tax”
- Demanding immediate tax payment for taxes owed on an iTunes or other type of gift card
- Soliciting W-2 information from payroll and human resources professionals
- “Verifying” tax return information over the phone
- Pretending to be from the tax preparation industry
The IRS says it will never call to demand immediate payment over the phone, and the agency will not call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill. Additionally, the IRS will not threaten to immediately bring in law-enforcement, demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe, or require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes. Lastly, the agency will never ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
If you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS directly at 800.829.1040.