In recent weeks the Alsip Police Department has had several reports of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) phone caller scams. The IRS has issued a warning and tips to avoid being scammed.
Callers claiming to be from the IRS tell intended victims they owe taxes and must pay using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The scammers threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation, or loss of a business or driver’s license.
The callers who commit this fraud often:
- Use common names and fake IRS badge numbers
- Know the last 4 digits of victims social security #
- Make caller ID appear as if the IRS is calling
- Send bogus IRS emails to support their scam
- Call a second time claiming to be the police or other government agency
The truth is the IRS usually first contacts people by mail –NOT BY PHONE – about unpaid taxes. The IRS won’t ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The agency also won’t ask for a credit card number over the phone.
If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for payment, here’s what to do:
- If you owe, or think you may owe federal taxes, hang up and call the IRS at 800-829-1040
- If you don’t owe taxes, call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Admin: 800-366-4484
- You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov. Add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments in your complaint.
Be alert for phone and email scams that use the IRS name. The IRS will never request personal or financial information by email, texting or any social media. You should forward scam emails to phishing@irs.gov. Don’t open attachments or click on any links in those emails.
Read more about tax scams on the genuine IRS website: www.IRS.gov
