The phone scammers are now going to the US mail. According to both the IRS and tax professionals, the scammers are broadening their efforts. Sure, they’re now committing mail fraud but since they’re already committing one crime what’s another?
So let’s say you get a letter and you’re not sure if it’s from the IRS. First, send a copy of it to your tax professional. He may be able to identify if it’s real or not. If you don’t owe any money to the IRS, a letter demanding payment is very unlikely to be real. If you’re not using a tax professional, call the IRS (800-829-1040).
If it’s phony, you can report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 800-366-4484. If it came through the mail, you can also report it to the US Postal Inspection Service (you can also call 800-275-8777). If it came through the mail, save the envelope it came from. That, too, will likely be another clue: Official IRS mail will usually be in window envelopes that say “Official Business, Penalty for Private Use, $300” and will state “Presorted First Class Mail…” with the IRS’s permit number.
In the IRS press release, the IRS notes,
The IRS will never:
- Angrily demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
- Threaten to 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.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Do not get taken by these scammers. Instead, let’s take them all to ClubFed.