Alert! Scammers Impersonate the IRS and Threaten Taxpayers: Safety Tips

Impersonation may be a compliment, but when it comes to imposters posing as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it can result in serious financial problems for taxpayers. Criminals are using various strategies, including phone calls, emails, text messages and fake social media profiles to pretend to be IRS representatives. Here are tips for identifying legitimate IRS communications. 

Letters and Notices: 

In most cases, the IRS communicates with taxpayers through letters or notices. If you receive a suspicious letter or notice, follow these steps to verify its authenticity: 

Access your secure IRS online account to check if there is a copy of the notice or letter on file. 

See common IRS letters and notices on the "Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter" page on IRS.gov. 

If you are unable to authenticate online, contact IRS customer service directly to confirm the letter or notice. 

Make sure any collection notice from a private collection agency has the same taxpayer authentication number as IRS Notice CP40. 

Phone Calls: 

After sending a letter or notice, IRS agents may call to confirm an appointment or discuss matters related to a scheduled audit. Here it is important to remember the following: 

The IRS does not leave urgent or threatening prerecorded messages. Any threat of arrest is a clear sign of scam. 

Private collection agencies contracted by the IRS can call taxpayers, but only after sending a written notice. 

Neither the IRS nor its private collection agencies will request card payments  

prepaid, store cards, or online gift cards. 

Email, Messages, and social media: 

The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via email, messages, or social media to request personal or financial information. Here are some common scams to look out for: 

Phishing emails purporting to be from the IRS. 

Fake IRS social media profiles that deal with fake bills or refunds. 

Text messages mentioning fake "tax credits" or "stimulus payments." 

In short, stay alert and know these scam practices to protect yourself from those who pretend to be the IRS. Always verify authenticity before providing personal or financial information. Your financial security is essential, don't fall into the traps of impostors!