Tax Season Is Here Again, and so are the Scammers
January 1 not only signaled the start of the new year, but the start of tax season as well. Continuing through until April 15, tax season unfortunately brings with it new robocall scams each year.
The most common scam the TNS Robocall Protection team has picked up on is the IRS back taxes scam. Detection of this scam is challenging if you are in a situation where you do owe back taxes, but we will explain how to spot a scam versus a legitimate attempt at collecting a tax debt.
How to Spot the Scam?
The IRS back taxes scam has a few red flags that you need to know about to make sure that you do not fall victim to it.
The first element of this scam is an unexpected call from the IRS or a collection agency.
Here is a transcript from the beginning of a real attempt at this scam:
“Hi there, this is Debbie from the tax filing assistance center. I’m following up on your inquiry about assistance with past due taxes and I’m sorry we missed each other. We offer a fantastic solution through our zero-taxation program which may help eliminate any old amounts…”
If the call you have received from the IRS sounds something like the one above or includes one or more of the following, it is likely the call you have received is a scam:
- Calling first: The IRS never initiates the first contact via a phone call. The only time an IRS agent may call in the first instance would be regarding cases where large amounts are owed, and multiple letters have been ignored or returned due to a bad address. The first contact they make with you will always be via letter.
- Telephone number spoofing: The call you receive from the IRS may look as though it has come from a legitimate IRS telephone number, but this may not be the case. Scammers use telephone number spoofing technology to make it appear as though they are calling you from a legitimate telephone number that belongs to the IRS or other legitimate debt collection service. The IRS does not call you.
- Threat of arrest or prison: Other IRS tax scam calls that we have heard may threaten the victim with arrest or prison due to their alleged tax debts. An IRS agent will never threaten arrest or prison. In the US, you cannot be sent to jail for tax debt unless you have committed fraud. If an agent calls and threatens arrest – this is an immediate sign of a scam. The IRS cannot suspend your business or driver’s license, another threat the scammer may make.
- Not being able to hang up the phone: The scammer may claim you must settle the matter over the phone immediately and cannot hang up. This is a major red flag for a scam as you will always be given the chance to question and appeal the amount you owe in a legitimate attempt to collect tax debt. An IRS officer will not pressure you to resolve the issue over the phone.
One thing worth noting is that, according to the IRS, if you do owe back taxes a legitimate private collection agency may contact you. However, there is no need to panic that this is a scam, as there are ways to verify that the calls are legitimate:
- The IRS will first send a send a letter letting you know your account was assigned to a private collection agency and this will explain how to contact them.
- The private collection agency will send you a letter. In some instances, they may call and inform you that they are calling on behalf of the IRS. There will be instructions in the letters to help verify the legitimacy of these calls, so it is important to always keep any letters from the IRS and/or private collection agency.
- You will not be asked to pay any individual or agency directly, and you certainly will not be asked to pay with a gift card, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer.
To see if you owe back taxes, you can check your online IRS account to view your balance. If you receive an attempt at this scam, the IRS asks you to report the attempt at tigta.gov/hotline or report the number by emailing phishing@irs.gov and be sure to put “IRS Phone Scam” in the subject line.
It is best practice to never engage with unknown numbers and report phone numbers being used by scammers to your carrier. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, you can report it to your local police, state Attorney General’s office and the FTC.
Call-blocking apps, including those powered by TNS Call Guardian®, are also a great resource for reporting and blocking unwanted robocalls.
Call Guardian is a registered trademark of Transaction Network Services, Inc.
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