Warning against IRS impostors

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) issued a warning on Tuesday to taxpayers to be suspicious of phone calls from people who claim to be with the Internal Revenue Service and are claiming to make an effort to defraud them.

According to the TIGTA, this is the biggest defrauding scam they have ever seen. J. Russell George, theTreasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, said that the people who are scamming have contacted thousands of victims who have collectively paid upwards of $1 million. According to TIGTA, they have received reports of more than 20,000 contacts.

George said, “At all times, and particularly during the tax filing season, we want to make sure that innocent taxpayers, are alert to this scam so they are not harmed by these criminals,” and added, “Do not become a victim.”

TIGTA reports that the scamming callers tell intended victims that they owe unpaid taxes and have to pay them using a wire transfer or a pre-paid debit card. They even threaten people who refuse to pay them with loss of a driver license, arrest, deportation, or loss of a business. TIGTA said the IRS impostors have contacted people in almost every State in the U.S.

According to TIGTA, most often the IRS initially contacts people by mail rather than by phone with regard to unpaid taxes. The IRS will also not ask for a wire transfer or a pre-paid debit card.

Those who receive a call from a person claiming to be a tax collector with the IRS has a few options. People who have questions about whether they owe taxes can call the IRS at 800-829-1040. People who know for certain they do not owe taxes can call TIGTA at 800-366-4484, or file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov; be sure to include “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments section of the complaint.