Local News

IRS Phone Scam Hitting Okanogan County

Dec 22, 2014

Taxpayers beware: Scammers are coming after your hard-earned money.

It's being called the "largest ever" telephone fraud scam targeting innocent taxpayers. Callers are posing as Internal Revenue Service representatives in an effort to defraud you, and if you don't pay up, the threats are severe.

According to J. Russell George, the treasury inspector general for tax administration (TIGTA), thousands of victims nationwide have collectively paid more than $1 million as a result of the scam. "The increasing number of people receiving these unsolicited calls from individuals who fraudulently claim to represent the IRS is alarming," George said.

The TIGTA warns the IRS first contacts people by mail, not phone, about unpaid taxes. It also won't ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer and it won't ask for your credit card information over the phone.

Also, if someone threatens arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver's license if you don't pay, that's a sign it's not the IRS.

"Don't fall for it. It's just a scam," said George. He said, "If they don't know who you are or address you by your first name, that should draw up some red flags."

TIGTA said callers who commit this fraud often: Use common names and fake IRS badge numbers. Know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number. Make caller ID information appear as if the IRS is calling. Send bogus IRS e-mails to support their scam. Call a second time claiming to be the police or department of motor vehicles, and the caller ID again supports their claim.

If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment, here’s what to do: If you owe federal taxes, or think you might owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with your payment questions. If you don’t owe taxes, call and report the incident to TIGTA at 800-366-4484. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov. Add “IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments in your complaint.

The TIGTA and the IRS encourage taxpayers to be alert for phone and email scams that use the IRS name. The IRS will never request personal or financial information by e-mail, texting or any social media. You should forward scam e-mails to phishing@irs.gov. Don’t open any attachments or click on any links in those e-mails. Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes winner) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS.