Beware of Fraudulent Communications from IRS Imposters

The Internal Revenue Service has issued several recent consumer warnings on the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scamsters trying to gain access to consumers’ financial information in order to steal their identity and assets. Please keep in mind that the IRS does not send emails. They also rarely contact taxpayers by telephone, usually only in cases of an existing issue that you are already aware of.  The primary method of communication used by IRS to contact taxpayers is the U.S. Postal Service.  

Additionally, it is important to remember that the IRS never asks for credit card information over the telephone, and does not collect taxes by telephone or email. They notify taxpayers of balances due, including pending liens and garnishments through IRS notices sent via U.S. Postal Service.    

If you receive a phone call or email from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do:

• Don’t give the caller any information and end the call.   If you are concerned about a potential tax issue, call the IRS directly at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you determine if there is an issue with your income tax.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you’ve never received a notice in the mail), then call and report the incident to TIGTA (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration) at 1.800.366.4484. You may also file a complaint online at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.  
• Recipients of suspicious emails should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the email to phishing@irs.gov.

Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS. 

For more information about identity theft, check the IRS official website, www.irs.gov.