The IRS release emphasizes that it will never angrily demand payment over the phone or threaten arrest by local police.
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Authorities with the Macomb County Sheriffs Office report receiving numerous calls in the last month from residents reporting scam calls to their home from a 904 area code.
Con artists are using online resources to get your name, address, and other details about your life to make the call sound official, according to the IRS.
The IRS said such scams have previously targeted seniors, newly arrived immigrants and non-native English speakers.
Whereas in the past, it appeared scammers targeted the elderly and vulnerable, now criminals are targeting virtually anyone.
Holyoke Police Department has received notices from community members that they have received phone calls from someone claiming they are from the Internal Revenue Service.
“They even go as far as copying official IRS letterhead for use in email or regular mail”, the IRS said.
Some scammers are so bold that they even provide victims with directions to a bank or a business where the victim can obtain a means to make a payment, such as debit card.
Please remember that fraud suspects have the ability by computer to generate phone numbers legitimately assigned to government agencies. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue. Other new scams include requesting the victim to send a “receipt” to an actual IRS address.
The official IRS website is IRS.gov. The IRS urges taxpayers not to be confused or misled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in.com, .net, .org or other designations instead of.gov. Taxpayers should never provide personal information, financial or otherwise, to suspicious websites or strangers calling out of the blue.
A new trick circulating around Nevada is a bogus letter allegedly from the IRS that threatens a criminal lawsuit if you don’t pay up. Taxpayers also always have the opportunity to question or appeal a tax debt before paying.
The IRS will not ask you for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
The IRS said anyone who actually owes taxes and believes they are the target of a scam can call the agency at 800-829-1040.
If you get one of these calls, you can report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by filling out this form.
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Contact the Federal Trade Commission and use its “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov (and add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint).
