It\u2019s tax season! If you are like most Americans, you might be a little confused by the new tax laws. Unfortunately, fraudsters are more than willing to take advantage of this confusion to steal taxpayers\u2019 hard-earned money.<\/p>\n
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Imposter scams were the most commonly-reported type of fraud in 2018\u00a0according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and\u00a0robocalling complaints were\u00a0five times higher than average<\/a>\u00a0in the weeks leading up to Tax Day on April 15, leaving scam fighters to conclude that IRS imposters are utilizing the technology to locate their next victims.<\/p>\n One consumer from Florida (we’re calling him “Tom” to protect his privacy) wrote in to tell us his story.<\/p>\n Tom received a call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent who let\u00a0him\u00a0know that he had made a mistake on his filing, which resulted in a warrant for his arrest being issued. The caller demanded that he pay $10,586 to avoid being arrested. Tom\u00a0told us, \u201cI really did believe that I might\u2019ve made a mistake … they asked for me to go to Walmart to pay a balance totaling the last two tax returns of $800 each.\u201d But Tom was skeptical and hung up. Shortly after he hung up, he received a \u201cVERY convincing call from a number that said 911,\u201d on the caller ID. The caller, who identified herself as a U.S. Marshal, said that \u201cshe had just received a call from the IRS to arrest me and was on her way. I called back the [IRS Scammer] and agreed to fully cooperate.\u201d<\/p>\n Sadly, Tom lost $1,600 before he was able to contact the real IRS\u00a0and\u00a0determine\u00a0that he had been defrauded.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, in 2019, the IRS impersonation scam\u00a0again made the\u00a0IRS\u2019 \u201cDirty Dozen\u201d tax scam list<\/a>, due to its ability to swindle millions of dollars from American tax payers.\u00a0Fortunately, there are red flags that consumers can watch for to avoid this scam:<\/p>\n If you receive a threatening phone call from a supposed IRS agent, you should refuse to provide the caller with any personal information and hang up immediately. After you hang up, if you are concerned that you may actually owe taxes, or if you would simply like some peace of mind, you should call the IRS directly to speak with one of its agents who can tell you whether you owe any taxes. You can reach the IRS by calling (800) 829-1040.<\/p>\n If you become a victim of an imposter scam or you suspect you have spotted one, report it! You can file a complaint at Fraud.org via\u00a0our\u00a0secure online complaint form<\/a>.\u00a0We\u2019ll share your complaint with our network of more than 90 law enforcement and consumer protection agency partners who can and do put fraudsters behind bars.<\/p>\n\n
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