Phony IRS Collections


This may be old news but the scary phone calls continue to keep coming.  The scenario is something like this: incoming phone call with a recorded message indicating that it is from Internal Revenue Service, there is a warrant out for your arrest due to unpaid taxes, please call this number (usually an 800 or similar number) to make payment arrangements.  

The IRS has posted information about this tax scam earlier this year as it continues to be problem. IRS Newsroom-Phone Scams Continue to be Serious Threat and Remain on IRS Dirty Dozen List of Tax Scams

As our offices and other professionals have told clients and taxpayers, the IRS does not make first contact via a phone call.  If you receive a phone call that purports to be from the IRS, do not share personally identifying information or provide payment information (debit or credit card information, pre-paid VISA card information, etc.).

It also appears that the scammers have been listening to the professionals about phone calls not being the initial contact from the IRS and have started a new scam - sending official looking letters stating balance due.  If you receive any contact that you suspect is not truly from the IRS, you can check to see if the contact is legitimate in a couple of ways (see the ways at the IRS website here: IRS Report Phishing).

If you have unusual contact, please contact either the IRS or a tax professional to seek help before dealing directly with the potentially scam artist.

Until next update.

Many happy returns,
Matt

Comments

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