The IRS has issued an alert regarding scam phone calls directly to taxpayers nationwide. The calls may be in person or via ‘robocalls’. Scammers claim that delinquent taxes are owed and that payment must be made or the taxpayer’s social security number will be suspended or canceled. The IRS advises that when in doubt, immediately hang up and ignore the call.
Taxpayers should not disclose any sensitive information to unknown callers, including social security numbers, bank accounts, age, birthdate or formal name. The IRS and its authorized private collection agencies will never:
-Call to demand immediate payment via debit card, gift card, or wire transfer, as the IRS does not use these collection methods;
-Ask for payments to be made to an entity other than the U.S. Treasury;
-Threaten to inform local police or law enforcement to have taxpayers arrested for not paying;
-Demand taxes paid with no opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed;
The IRS suggests that any scam-related call be reported to the Treasury Inspector General and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) including any caller id for the number that appeared. For information regarding any taxes owed as well as the authenticity of an unknown call, the IRS recommends you call them directly at 800.829.1040.
Source: www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts
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