Rodney Cress, Veteran Advocate
♦ FRAUD/TELEPHONE SCAM ALERT
Background Information:
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has received numerous reports of threatening telephone calls from individuals claiming to be from the IRS. Fraudsters pose as the IRS to trick victims out of their money or personal information. Fraudsters use scare tactics (arrest, deportation, and/or revoking their license) to demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill and subsequently con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The fraudsters may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via phishing email.
The fraudster states they are with the Audit Commission Department with the IRS Audit Headquarters in Chicago and they are calling to inform them that the IRS is filing a lawsuit. The fraudster will provide the individual with a previous address and indicate that the initial notification was mailed to that address.
What the veteran/beneficiary should do if they receive these calls:
•Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 1-800-366-4484.
•Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
•Record the employee’s name, badge number, call back number and caller ID if available.
•Call 1-800-366-4484 to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you.
•Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more information, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.
