The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) is warning consumers about a telephone scam that targets taxpayers, and specifically immigrants, throughout the country. During the scam phone call, victims are threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license if they do not promptly pay money allegedly owed to the IRS through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The IRS has stated that it will not ask for credit card numbers via phone nor request a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. Also, the IRS confirmed that it does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information and will not ask for PINs, passwords, credit card information or bank account information.
Characteristics of this scam include:
- Scammers using common names and fake IRS badge numbers for false identification;
- Scammers knowing the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security Number;
- Scammers sending fake IRS emails to support their calls;
- Scammers falsifying the IRS toll-free number to make it appear as though the IRS is calling; and
- After threats of jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers will hang up and call back quickly pretending to be from the local police or DMV.
In an effort to ensure a phone call from the IRS is legitimate, individuals should identify whether or not they may owe taxes and call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 if they need help with a payment issue.
Those who fall victim to this phone scam should:
- Call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484; and
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission by using their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at www.FTC.gov and add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the complaint comments.
If you have any questions or concerns about this issue, please contact Natalie Murphy at 317-977-1481 or nmurphy@hallrender.com, Michael Kim at 317-977-1418 or mkim@hallrender.com or your regular Hall Render attorney.
Special thanks to Janice Pascuzzi, Law Clerk, for her assistance with preparation of this posting.
