Tax scams have caused thousands of people to lose millions of dollars along with stolen personal information. As scammers evolve and find new creative ways to trick people into giving them personal information or to send them money; it’s important to be informed and be able to identify when a notice is truly from the IRS.
The IRS contacts mostly though regular mail delivery by the United States Postal Service. There are special instances when the IRS will call or come to a home or business, although under these special circumstances the IRS will generally mail a letter first.
Avoid scams by knowing that the IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail you a bill.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
- Demand that you pay taxes 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.