If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS and demanding immediate payment, hang up immediately. It is most likely a scam. More than 200 Indiana residents have reported these fraudulent calls to the attorney general’s office this year, with many occurring in recent days.
Here’s a common scenario to watch out for: You receive a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS or U.S. Department of Treasury. The caller tells you that you owe tax money, due immediately. If it is not paid, the caller threatens, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. You are then told to put the money on a prepaid debit card and give the caller the number.
Don’t fall victim to this scam that has cost consumers a total of $5 million nationwide. The IRS will never initiate contact over the phone. You will always be contacted first through official correspondence by mail. Additionally, the IRS will never ask you for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the phone.
Warning: Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number. They also may be able to spoof the IRS toll-free number on Caller ID to make the call look legitimate.
If you think you’ve been targeted by this scam, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040 yourself to confirm it is fraudulent. Then, report the scam to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office by filing a consumer complaint online at www.indianaconsumer.com or calling 1.888.834.9969.
You can also report the scam to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484 or go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box to report the incident online.
