WARNING: Here is a transcript of the automated voice mail message
left on a professional colleague’s (CPA) home phone last month by someone
trying to commit an I.R.S. (fake) fraud on him:
He received this voice mail message. “I need you or your retained
attorney to return this call. The issue at hand is extremely time sensitive.
I’m officer Hannah Gray from the Internal Revenue Service and the hot
line to my position is 415-251-XXXX. I repeat, it’s 415-251-XXXX. Don’t
disregard this message and return this call before we take any legal
allegation against you. Goodbye and take care.”
If he wasn’t aware that this scam existed, his initial reaction would have
been to call the number left by the scammer as soon as possible. But
remember, the IRS does NOT send e-mails or make phone calls like these
to taxpayers.
Please do NOT respond to telephone calls (unless you are currently working
with an agent on a specific tax issue) or email from someone claiming to be
an official of the I.R.S. The do virtually all correspondence through the US
POST OFFICE.
That’s the gist of this week’s email. Please don’t become a victim of fraud.
Don’t fall prey to phone or email scams from crooks claiming to be the I.R.S.
(or Social Security either for that matter).
Below is further and quite frankly, interesting info you might want to read
but I want to keep the main message short.
all the best… Mark
Instead, the IRS is continually warning taxpayers about scams like this; including
the following press release issued last Halloween:
IRS Warns of Pervasive Telephone Scam
IR-2013-84, Oct. 31, 2013
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today warned consumers about
a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants,
throughout the country. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must
be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim
refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or
suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes
hostile and insulting.
“This scam has hit taxpayers in nearly every state in the country. We want to
educate taxpayers so they can help protect themselves. Rest assured, we do not
and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a pre-paid
debit card or wire transfer,” says IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel. “If
someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest,
deportation or license revocation if you don’t pay immediately, that is a sign that
it really isn’t the IRS calling.” Werfel noted that the first IRS contact with taxpayers
on a tax issue is likely to occur via mail.
Other characteristics of this scam include:
Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common
names and surnames to identify themselves.
Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security
Number.
Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s
the IRS calling.
Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their
bogus calls.
Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.
After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers
hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV,
and the caller ID supports their claim. If you get a phone call from someone
claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do:
If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at
1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment
issue – if there really is such an issue.
If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes
for example, you’ve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as
described above), then call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector
General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484.
If you’ve been targeted by this scam, you should also contact the Federal Trade
Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS
Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint. Taxpayers should be aware
that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations
(such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant against phone and email scams that
use the IRS as a lure. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to
request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic
communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does
not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card,
bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or
click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail to
phishing@irs.gov.
More information on how to report phishing scams involving the IRS is available
on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.