By Katie Ralbusky Staff Writer
The Internal Revenue Service warns of a new phone scam going on across the nation.
It has hit taxpayers, and notably recent immigrants, in the last several months.
Potential victims of this scam are threatened with warrants for their arrest, having their utilities shut off, or deportation if they are immigrants.
The callers are often openly demeaning and demanding, as to better intimidate their potential victims.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says, “The government typically is not going to call you and try to brow beat you into giving away your money right away.
There’s appropriate legal processes and the IRS has to respect that.”
Possible victims are either told they owe the IRS money and must pay at once or they are eligible for a refund.
It is important to note that the IRS never asks for credit cards and such personal information over the phone.
If you due owe the IRS taxes, they will always send you a written notification of such information in the mail.
Scammers will often call back and try a new tactic if their plan does not work the first time. Here are some important signs to look for in case this happens.
The IRS Reiterates Warning of Pervasive Telephone Scam says, “Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers.
They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.
Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number. Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling.
Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls. Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.”
This happened to me personally and you should be aware if the number contacting you reads “Washington DC 202.470.4020”.
They may even leave a threatening message on your answering machine as they did mine.
If this does occur, then be sure to not give them any of your personal information, call the real IRS at 1.800.829.1040 if you are not sure where you are with your taxes.
You should also call your local sheriff’s office to report the issue, and call 1.800.366.4484 and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
It is also important to know that there are other scams out there, such as sweepstake scams that claim to be from the IRS as well. Be vigilant and skeptical of these phone calls.
To learn more you can visit the website IRS.gov.