This
is Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, and we want you to be aware of tax
scams! Today’s lesson: phone
scams.
Do
not fall victim to scammers who call and say they are with the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS)! There has been an increase in aggressive phone scams where
people call and threaten you with police arrest or deportation if you don’t pay
them.
Even if you do owe taxes…
·
The IRS will NEVER call
and demand immediate payment over the phone.
·
The IRS will NEVER try
to threaten or intimidate you, demand payment with a prepaid debit card, or ask
for your credit card or debit card number over the phone.
·
The IRS will NEVER
threaten to call the police or immigration agents if you don’t pay.
If
you get a call like this, report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax
Administration by calling 800-366-4484 or visiting www.tigta.gov. Also, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/complaint.
Visit
uscis.gov/avoidscams or uscis.gov/eviteestafas to learn how to recognize and avoid
immigration scams and find authorized legal services.