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IRS ALERTS TAXPAYERS: HOW TELEPHONE SCAMS WORK.

Posted by Admin Posted on Oct 04 2018

How telephone scams work.

 

Special serie Part 1

The agency warns that scammers continue to pose as the IRS, making threatening phone calls and using email phishing schemes to lure taxpayers. The scams may be particularly prevalent ahead of the Oct. 15 tax-filing extension deadline. Another tax scam, where criminals pose as charity organizations, tends to peak during hurricane season or following a natural disaster. Taxpayers should learn about these ongoing tax scams and know what to do if they’re targeted.

 

The IRS urges taxpayers to look out for suspicious calls, emails and donation requests and take appropriate action if they experience any of the following:

 

Telephone scams

How the scam works: Criminals pose as IRS employees and call victims, demanding immediate payment of a so-called tax debt. Payments are often requested via prepaid debit cards and/or money wires. The caller will ask to stay on the line or otherwise call repeatedly while the victim completes the transaction. The caller may use a condescending tone and will often threaten to file a lawsuit, call the police or involve federal law enforcement agencies if the victim doesn’t comply. The call may appear to come from emergency services and/or a local/federal law enforcement agency but the fraudsters are faking, or “spoofing” the caller ID to only appear to come from a legitimate agency.

 

What taxpayers should do: Hang up the phone. Know that the IRS would never call to threaten or demand immediate tax payment. The agency offers taxpayers a chance to appeal any amount in question and offers numerous ways of resolving a tax liability.

 

Anyone wishing to check their account after receiving this type of call can visit the IRS website and register to view your account information online. The tool allows taxpayers to view up to 24 months of payment history and balance due for any given tax year. Taxpayers who want to report scam calls can visit the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s website, TIGTA.gov, and also email phishing@irs.gov (Subject: IRS Phone Scam). 

If you have any questions regarding accounting, domestic taxation, international taxation, IRS representation, U.S. tax implications of Real Estate transactions or financial statements, please give us a call at 305-274-5811.

Source: IRS

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