Receive a threatening phone call from “IRS” or some other agency?

Scammers, hackers, and other assorted thieves are calling (or “robo” calling) innocent people with a variety of threats –

• If you owe IRS money, you’ll get a series of letters from IRS long before they ever resort to personal contact.
  • If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from IRS or the Treasury Department or some other agency, threatening you with legal action if you do not pay immediately – they are lying. Hang up, do not engage them.
• You may find a voicemail message left on your phone threatening to take legal action if you don’t return their call.
  • It is not lawful for any bill collector, including the government, to leave a threatening message on voicemail. This is a violation of Federal law.
• If they left you a return phone number – you can turn that information over to the Federal agencies going after these thugs.
  • Fill out the “IRS Impersonation scam” form on TIGTA’s website, tigta.gov or call TIGTA at 800-366-4484.  (TIGTA stands for Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration)
  • File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?NextQID=216&Selected=t#crnt Add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments in your complaint.
• Whatever you do – don’t give them your credit card information or purchase a gift card. IRS does not accept these directly as payment for an outstanding tax debt.
• If you believe you have an outstanding debt and the think the call may be legit – tell them you want to confer with your tax advisor and you’ll call them back – then call our office. If they are truly from IRS, they will respect this.  If they push harder and get more threatening, they are not from the government!