John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
As tax season comes to a close, the number of phone calls from scammers claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rise. For one Madison County resident, he got a call more than once.
According to irs.gov, a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be IRS employees, using fake names and IRS identification badge numbers.
The resident, who will remain anonymous, claims that he received a call from a number out of Washington, D.C. As he answered the call, he was promptly told that there was a warrant out for his arrest for tax evasion and owing back taxes, and the phony IRS scammers stated that they wanted to inform him before law enforcement came to his home. Before the scammers even began to give him options to make a payment, he disregarded the message and hung up the phone. The resident stated that he called the same number back and the scammers answered the phone as the Internal Revenue Service.
Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer, according to irs.gov. Victims, like the resident in Madison County, may be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver's license. In some cases, the scammer may become hostile and insulting. If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an "urgent" callback request.
If you receive a call and you are unsure if a scammer is on the other line, here are some tips given by the IRS. The IRS does not:
Call to demand immediate payment using a specific method of payment, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail you a bill if you owe any taxes.
Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement agencies to have you arrested for not paying.
Demand payment without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Thousands, possibly millions of people, have lost plenty of money and their personal information to tax scams. Scamming can not just be initiated over the phone but through mail and/or email. If you receive such a call through any of those sources, remember the tips listed above to determine whether or not you are being scammed.