Nationwide scams against taxpayers continue to grow and evolve. Scammers, posing as the IRS, attempt to trick taxpayers into making false tax payments directly to them or providing them with the taxpayer’s personal information.
The IRS reports that since October 2013, its Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received reports of roughly 600,000 cases of scams. 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.
“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.”
Reported scams range from angry phone calls threatening arrest, deportation, or other consequences to e-mails and letters on fake IRS letterhead, giving you a fake e-mail address or phone number to call. The IRS does not demand payment over the phone. If you receive a phone call, e-mail or letter from the IRS and are unsure whether it is a scam or not, you should contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to determine if any taxes are actually owed.