IRS Imposter Scams are on the rise!
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the government agency that collects federal taxes. Scammers pretend to be IRS Officials to get you to send them money.
How the Scam Works
You get a call.
Your caller ID might show it's the IRS calling.
The caller might give a badge number and know the last four digits of your Social Security number.
You are told: "you owe money", "you better pay now or you'll be arrested," "put money on a prepaid debit card or wire it to us"
If you pay...
You find out it wasn't the IRS. It was a scam.
The money is gone.
Warning Signs
How the IRS will first contact you:
Phone call? No!
Email? No!
Mail? Yes.
How the IRS will ask you to pay:
With a pre-paid debit card? No!
With a money transfer? No!
Won't require a specific type of payment? Yes.
Did You Get a Call?
Don't give the caller information
such as your financial or other personal information.
Write down details
such as the number and name of the caller.
Hang up
Contact the IRS directly
If you're worried the call is real, contact the IRS directly, at (800) 829-1040 or go to irs.gov
