HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Sheriff’s Office is again reporting that they received information from a few citizens that the old IRS telephone scam has resurfaced. Those citizens reported an individual claiming to be with the IRS is calling and telling them they owe money on their taxes.
Here are five things scam artists often do, but the IRS will not do:
Call to demand immediate payment, nor will they call about taxes owed without first having mailed an individual a bill.
They also won’t ask for payment without giving tax payers the opportunity to question or appeal the amount that is owed.
They also wouldn’t require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card. Nor would they ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
They also wouldn’t threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.
If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose “Other” and then “Imposter Scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
Remember, too, the IRS does not use unsolicited email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box.
Additional information about tax scams is available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube and Tumblr, where people can search “scam” to find all the scam-related posts.