Current:Home > ContactNo, the IRS isn't calling you. It isn't texting or emailing you, either -ProfitPoint
No, the IRS isn't calling you. It isn't texting or emailing you, either
View
Date:2025-04-15 01:17:37
Your phone rings and it's someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service. Ominously, they say the police will be knocking on your door in minutes if you don't pay your taxes right then and there.
Don't fall for it. It's not the IRS getting in touch with you.
Since 2018, more than 75,000 victims have lost $28 million to scammers impersonating the IRS over the phone, email, texts and more.
That's according to data from the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces consumer protection laws, including those against fraud. The true number is almost certainly even higher, including reports to other agencies and victims who don't make reports. And there are other types of tax scams altogether, like phony tax preparers and tax identity theft.
"Email and text scams are relentless, and scammers frequently use tax season as a way of tricking people," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a news release last month.
As Tax Day approaches, here's how the IRS actually contacts taxpayers and how you can spot imposters.
How the IRS will really contact you
"If the IRS contacts you, they're never going to contact you first via email or telephone — they're going to contact you in writing a letter," says Christopher Brown, an attorney at the FTC.
A call or a visit usually only happens after several letters, the IRS says — so unless you've ignored a bunch of letters about your unpaid taxes, that caller claiming to be from the IRS is probably lying.
The IRS won't threaten to have the police arrest you or demand that you make an immediate payment with a specific payment type, like a prepaid debit card. "That's a sure sign that it's a scam," Brown says.
Taxpayers can always question or appeal what they owe, according to the IRS. Caller ID can be faked, so don't think it's real just because the caller ID says IRS, Brown says.
If you think a caller claiming to be from the IRS might be real, the IRS says you should ask them for their name, badge number and callback number, which you can verify with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by calling 1-800-366-4484. Then, you can either call the IRS back or report the scammer here.
What scams often look like
Aggressive and threatening scam phone calls impersonating the IRS have been a problem for years. Callers demand immediate payment, often via a specific payment method, and threaten arrest, driver's license revocation and even deportation if you fail to pay up or provide sensitive personal information.
There isn't data on the most common contact methods specifically for IRS imposter scams, but for government imposter scams overall, phone calls are the most common, Brown says.
These scams spread into emails and texts. Known as phishing and smishing scams, respectively, they were featured on this year's "Dirty Dozen" list, an IRS campaign to raise awareness about tax scams.
"People should be incredibly wary about unexpected messages like this that can be a trap, especially during filing season," Werfel, the IRS commissioner, said.
People get texts or emails that say "Your account has been put on hold" or "Unusual Activity Report" with a fake link to solve the problem. Clicking on links in scam emails or texts can lead to identity theft or ransomware getting installed on your phone or computer.
But scammers are always evolving. "Initially what we saw more was the threat with a demand that you make a payment, but then there was that new twist, which is, 'Let's not threaten, let's sort of entice,' " Brown says.
That newer tactic of luring people with promises of a tax refund or rebate is more often employed over email or text as a phishing or smishing scam, Brown says. But both the threatening and enticing tactics are still prevalent, and they can be employed through any method of contact.
Consumers who are victims of imposter scams can report them to the IRS or to the FTC.
Regardless of the specifics, here's a good rule of thumb from the FTC for spotting scams: "The government doesn't call people out of the blue with threats or promises of money."
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Amazon says in a federal lawsuit that the NLRB’s structure is unconstitutional
- Will Taylor Fritz vs. Frances Tiafoe finally yield Andy Roddick successor at Grand Slam?
- Beyoncé and Jay-Z Put in Their Love on Top in Rare Birthday Vacation Photos
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Check Out Lululemon's Latest We Made Too Much Drops, Including $59 Align Leggings & $68 Bodysuit for $29
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Green Peas
- August jobs report: Economy added disappointing 142,000 jobs as unemployment fell to 4.2%
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei’s Father Shares Heartbreaking Plea After Her Death From Gasoline Attack
Ranking
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- These modern day Mormons are getting real about sex. But can they conquer reality TV?
- 'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed could plead guilty to separate gun charge: Reports
- Was Abraham Lincoln gay? A new documentary suggests he was a 'lover of men'
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- What to watch: Say his name!
- Appeals court upholds conviction of former Capitol police officer who tried to help rioter
- Why Lady Gaga Hasn't Smoked Weed in Years
Recommendation
Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
Father of Georgia high school shooting suspect charged with murder, child cruelty
'Wrong from start to finish': PlayStation pulling Concord game 2 weeks after launch
Jennifer Lopez Rocks Revenge Dress at TIFF Premiere of Her and Ben Affleck’s Film Amid Divorce
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
Residents are ready to appeal after a Georgia railroad company got approval to forcibly buy land
US Navy commander previously seen firing rifle with backwards facing scope relieved
Michigan judge loses docket after she’s recorded insulting gays and Black people