A dangerous IRS scam you need to know about

Con artists posing as IRS agents trying to hustle money with a threatening phone call.

Voicemail:

\"The reason for this call is to let you know the IRS is filing a lawsuit against.\"

I personally called the number left on the voicemail 253-656-4712.

The number is based out of Washington State.

Caller:

\"My name is Mike Wilson from the Internal Revenue Service, and my badge ID is 285935.\"

The Better Business Bureau told us this scam targets 20,000 people in the United States, mainly people who don't speak English well.

\"The people who are making these calls are typically off shore”, said BBB Wisconsin President & CEO Ryan Hoth.

During the phone conversation, the guy on the phone told me I owe back taxes, and that I would face penalties if I didn't pay my taxes.

Caller:

\"The totaled balance outstanding under your name is $3480.\"

Caller:

\"Your driver's license will be canceled, everything under your name, your bank account. Everything will be seized.\"

The caller transferred me a senior officer who said I was under surveillance.

Me:

\"Why I am under surveillance?”

Caller:

“Because you got audited from the IRS, and you haven't paid your taxes.”

Me:

“How long it said I haven't paid my taxes?”

Caller:

“You have to pay the amount right now.\"

Caller:

\"You will be arrested.”

Me:

“Sir did you say if I don't resolve this matter as soon as possible, I'll be taken into custody?”

Caller:

“Yes.\"

The man on the phone told me the IRS has documented evidence that shows errors in my taxes.

Caller:

\"They found a miscalculation error on you W2 forms. This is the reason you received a call from the department.”

Me:

“What miscalculation did you find?”

Caller:

(Phone hangs up).

The IRS did not have anyone to speak with us Wednesday evening, but did send additional information on how people can report these sorts of scams.

An aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS, but are not. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver's license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.

Regular mail is how the IRS will first contact taxpayers about a bill they owe.

Additionally, it is important for taxpayers to know that the IRS:

· Never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone.

· Never insists that taxpayers use a specific payment method to pay tax obligations

· Never requests immediate payment over the telephone and will not take enforcement action immediately following a phone conversation. Taxpayers usually receive prior notification of IRS enforcement action involving IRS tax liens or levies.

Other resources:

More about IRS Tax Scams

Warning signs from the IRS

Overall Tax Scam information


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