IRS Sends New, Urgent Warnings To Taxpayers About Scam Artists

pUnfortunately, when the tax season ends and most people stop thinking about tax issues, the tax scammers are just getting started. Their year-round commitment to finding new scams means taxpayers must remain vigilant and well informed./ppHere are several tips, taken directly from the most a href=https://www.irs.gov/uac/Dont-Fall-for-New-Tax-Scam-Tricks-by-IRS-Posersr... tips/a from the IRS, to help you avoid becoming a victim of these scams:/pullipstrongScams use scare tactics./strong These aggressive and sophisticated scams try to scare people into making a false tax payment that ends up with the criminal. Many phone scams use threats to try to intimidate you so you will pay them your money. They often threaten arrest or deportation, or that they will revoke your license if you don’t pay. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests, sometimes through “robo-calls,” via phone or email. The emails will often contain a fake IRS document with a phone number or an email address for you to reply./p/lilipstrongScams use caller ID spoofing./strong  Scammers often alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legit. They may use online resources to get your name, address and other details about your life to make the call sound official./p/lilipstrongScams use phishing email and regular mail./strong  Scammers copy official IRS letterhead to use in email or regular mail they send to victims. In another new variation, schemers provide an actual IRS address where they tell the victim to mail a receipt for the payment they make. All in an attempt to make the scheme look official./p/li/ulpAs noted by the IRS, some of the scammers will even go so far as giving potential victims directions to a nearby bank where victims can acquire the means to pay the fake IRS agent with a debit card. As this scam has evolved, criminals might also give the victim a legitimate IRS address to mail a receipt for the payment. They go to such lengths to convince the victim the scam is official IRS business./ppThe con artist’s primary weapon is fear. They use aggressive tactics to provoke an immediate, fearful reaction without slowing down or carefully thinking through the situation./ppAs a href=https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-warns-taxpayers-to-guard-against-new-tr... by the IRS/a, scams have cost victims over $20 million:/pp style=padding-left:30pxThe Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, has received reports of about 600,000 contacts since October 2013. TIGTA is also aware of nearly 4,000 victims who have collectively reported over $20 million in financial losses as a result of tax scams./pp style=padding-left:30px“We continue to see these aggressive tax scams across the country,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “Scam artists specialize in being deceptive and fooling people. The IRS urges taxpayers to be extra cautious and think twice before answering suspicious phone calls, emails or letters.”/ppCon artists pretending to be IRS agents have traditionally targeted vulnerable groups such as:/pullipOlder Americans/p/lilipRecently arrived immigrants/p/lilipPeople who do not speak English as their first language/p/li/ulpHowever, scammers, who are becoming bolder, are now targeting anyone.  /ppThe IRS a href=https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-completes-the-dirty-dozen-tax-scams-for... published/a the following “Dirty Dozen” list for 2015, which highlights the most prevalent phone scams that con artists are using:/pullipstrongPhone Scams:/strong Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remains an ongoing threat to taxpayers./p/lilipstrongPhishing:/strong Taxpayers need to be on guard against fake emails or websites looking to steal personal information./p/lilipstrongIdentity Theft:/strong Taxpayers need to watch out for identity theft especially around tax time./p/lilipstrongReturn Preparer Fraud:/strong Taxpayers need to be on the lookout for unscrupulous return preparers./p/lilipstrongOffshore Tax Avoidance:/strong The recent string of successful enforcement actions against offshore tax cheats and the financial organizations that help them shows that it’s a bad bet to hide money and income offshore./p/lilipstrongInflated Refund Claims:/strong Taxpayers need to be on the lookout for anyone promising inflated refunds./p/lilipstrongFake Charities:/strong Taxpayers should be on guard against groups masquerading as charitable organizations to attract donations from unsuspecting contributors./p/lilipstrongHiding Income with Fake Documents:/strong Hiding taxable income by filing false Form 1099s or other fake documents is a scam that taxpayers should always avoid and guard against./p/lilipstrongAbusive Tax Shelters:/strong Taxpayers should avoid using abusive tax structures to avoid paying taxes./p/lilipstrongFalsifying Income to Claim Credits:/strong Taxpayers should avoid inventing income to erroneously claim tax credits./p/lilipstrongExcessive Claims for Fuel Tax Credits:/strong Taxpayers need to avoid improper claims for fuel tax credits./p/lilipstrongFrivolous Tax Arguments:/strong Taxpayers should avoid using frivolous tax arguments to avoid paying their taxes./p/li/ulpAs it notes in its publications, the actual IRS will never do any of the following practices:/pullipCall you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail./p/lilipDemand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount that you owe./p/lilipRequire that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card./p/lilipAsk for credit or debit card numbers over the phone./p/lilipThreaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying./p/li/ulpIf you suspect anything suspicious when someone contacts you claiming to be an IRS agent -- especially if you do not owe taxes or have any reason to think you would warrant contact from the IRS, then the IRS recommends the following actions:/pullipDo not provide any information to the caller. Hang up immediately./p/lilipContact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Use TIGTA’s “a href=https://apps.irs.gov/app/scripts/exit.jsp?dest=https://www.treasury.gov/... Impersonation Scam Reporting/a” web page to report the incident./p/lilipYou should also report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “a href=https://apps.irs.gov/app/scripts/exit.jsp?dest=https://www.ftccomplainta... Complaint Assistant/a” on FTC.gov. Please add IRS Telephone Scam in the notes./p/li/ulpHowever, if you do know that you owe taxes or think you might have some tax issue that needs resolution, you can deal with it by calling the IRS at 800-829-1040. The IRS employees will help you if you do have unpaid tax obligations./ppAlso, always remember that the authentic IRS website is IRS.gov. Never use a website claiming to be the IRS that uses .com, org, .net, or any other address that is not .gov./ppAnd never under any circumstance should you give personal information to a stranger contacting you out of the blue. It’s best to hang up and call the IRS directly yourself using the number above./ppStay up-to-date with the latest scam alerts from the IRS at their page a href=https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alertsTax Scams and Consumer Alerts/a on IRS.gov./pp /ppemSources: IR-2015-99, Aug. 6, 2015; IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2015-18, August 12, 2015; IR-2015-26/em/p