IRS: Tips to protect yourself from scammers

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Special Edition IRS tax advice 2015-18SP In this edition IRS urges the public to be alert for fraudulent calls The IRS continues to warn consumers to protect themselves against fraudulent phone calls of thieves trying to steal their money or identity. Imposters posing as the IRS to trick victims and get your money or personal information. Here are some tips to help you avoid becoming a victim of these scams: The scammers make unexpected calls. Thieves call taxpayers and tell them to be IRS officials. They require that the victim pay a bill of false tax. They defraud the victim demanding to send them cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or bank transfer. They also leave "urgent" messages returned the phone call through "robo-calls" (prerecorded voices), or through emails called phishing. Thieves callers try to scare their victims. Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and harass a victim to pay. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victims if they don´t receive the money. Scammers use a fake ID calls. Scammers often alter the caller ID to make it look as if the IRS or other agency is calling. Callers use titles IRS and false identification numbers that look legitimate. They can use the name, address and other personal information of the victim to the call ring official. The scammers always use new tricks. Some schemes provide an actual IRS address where they say the victim to mail a receipt of payment made. Others use emails containing a false document with the IRS phone number or email address to respond. These scams often use letterhead with the IRS logo in emails or mail they send to their victims. They use these strategies to look official. The scams have cost to the victims more than $ 23 million. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or (TIGTA for its acronym in English), has received reports of about 736,000 contact scam since October 2013. Nearly 4,550 victims have altogether paid more than $ 23 million as a result of fraud.  The IRS does not: Will call and demand an immediate payment. The IRS will not call if you owe taxes without having sent an invoice by mail. Will require that you pay taxes without allow ask or appeal the amount due. Will required to pay their taxes in a certain way. For example, telling you pay with a debit card pre-paid. Will ask your credit card number or debit card through the phone Threatening to report you to the police or other agencies in order to arrest you for failure to pay.  If you don´t owe taxes or have no reason to think that:  Do not give any information. Hang up immediately. Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA, for its acronym in English). Use the IRS website Impersonation Scam Reporting. You can also call the 800-366-4484. Report also the Federal Trade Commission about the incident. Use the Wizard option FTC Complaint in FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the report comments.  If you know that you owe money, or think it:  Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS representatives can help you.  The scammers phone calls first tried to defraud the elderly, new immigrants to the US and those who speak English as a second language. Now the thieves trying to scam everyone. They have defrauded people in every state in the nation.  Be alert to scams that use the IRS as a hook. Tax frauds can happen at any time of year, not only in the tax season. For more information, visit Tax Fraud / Problems Alert on IRS.gov.  Each and every one of the contributors have a set of fundamental rights that should know when dealing with the IRS. These are the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect on IRS.gov.  IRS YouTube Videos: • Tax Scams - Spanish | English | ESL IRS podcasts: ·         • Tax Scams - Spanish | English