Scammers are pretending to be the IRS to "collect back taxes"…

Warn your clients and friends. Phone calls made by scammers claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Specifically, they will aggressively represent that the individual owes money to the IRS and that it must be paid promptly over the phone. If you do not, the scammers threaten arrest or other enforcement action.

The IRS will never ask for a credit card or bank information over the phone, nor request that individuals use a prepaid debit to repay debt.  If the IRS has an issue with an individual’s federal tax return, the agency will first contact that person by letter – often certified - through the United States Postal Service.

If you or someone you know gets a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS to collect the debt over the phone: Hang up on the caller and contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484. Complaints may also be registered with the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov.  Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” and enter “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint. If you receive any suspicious emails, forward them to the IRS at “phishing@irs.gov”.  Do not open any attachments or click on any links in the emails.