30 Aug IRS Scams: How to Sniff Them Out
Have you ever gotten a “phone call” from the IRS threatening to sue you?
If so, then you have been called by a scammer.
The IRS can be a frightening place, but there are people who take advantage of that to scare you out of your money. Many times, scammers will call, say something about back taxes, then threaten to send the authorities if you don’t pay. Typically, they require a quick deadline and then ask for your information over the phone.
Those are just some of the telltale signs of an IRS scam. The IRS often says “If you’re not expecting to hear from us, then it isn’t us.” Furthermore, the IRS will only contact you through mail. Sure, agents can show up at your residence, but that’s only if you’ve committed serious tax crimes (thus, you would expect to see them). Otherwise, you’ll only hear from it through letters.
Remember that the IRS will never ask for payment information over the phone.
Are there other kinds of IRS scams?
Scammers get creative when methods aren’t working, so they don’t just use phone calls these days. IRS scams can be through emails as well. To spot those, look for typos in the emails as well as an address that is one letter off. Scammers will often replicate company addresses with a single letter change to look as close to the real thing as possible.
Millions of dollars are lost every year, with the government still working to apprehend IRS scammers. The sad truth is that, despite those efforts, scammers are still getting away with it. The average citizen loses about $5700 in an IRS scam.
If you want more details about how to sniff out IRS scams, the IRS itself has many resources on its website.
If you received any major letters from the IRS and are having serious tax problems, then call us at 614-524-4888!
