Phone Calls from the IRS: Proceed with Caution

Imagine this scenario: you’re sitting at home and the phone rings. You answer, only to be told that the caller on the other end is an IRS agent who needs to speak with you urgently. Your caller ID might even seem to verify that the IRS is calling. But, don’t be too quick to hand out information, such as your

Social Security number or your credit card number. More often than not, phone calls from the IRS aren’t really from the IRS at all, but from scammers. Here are some warning signs of a fraudulent caller that can keep you from getting tricked.  

Warning Sign #1: You’ve Had No Prior Communication  

The first thing to think about is whether or not you’ve had any recent contact, via official mail, not email, with the IRS. If you haven’t, then you’re likely not talking to a real IRS agent. The IRS handles almost all of its communications via regular postal mail. They typically won’t call you to tell you that you owe money or anything of the sort. And, they definitely won’t call you out of the blue without any prior notice. If you’re still unsure, tell the caller you’d prefer to hang up and to dial the official IRS number for yourself. If they protest, do it anyway! The real IRS cannot penalize you for protecting yourself in this way.  

Warning Sign #2: You’re Asked to Pay in an Odd Way  

You can also tell if you’re dealing with a scammer if they demand you pay a tax bill immediately and in a nontraditional way. Most scammers will order you to head to your local Western Union to send a wire transfer or to buy a prepaid debit card and give them the numbers. That’s definitely not legitimate as the IRS only accepts funds via official online or mail-in payment options, which are detailed on their official website.  

Warning Sign #3: You’re Threatened  

The way that scammers trick most people is by scaring them. They may tell you that if you don’t pay right away they’ll have you arrested, deported, or sued. Don’t panic, and don’t let those threats get to you. If the IRS was going to take some action against you, it would do so legally and with due process, and typically only after a lot of warnings and official communication.  

Sadly, there are many scammers in the world who try to dupe unsuspecting people out of their hard-earned money. Don’t be one of these victims. Never provide personal information over the phone, and ensure all your contact with the IRS happens via official channels.