AVOIDING IDENTITY THEFT SCAMMERS POSING AS THE IRS
Letters and Notices:
A letter or notice is usually the first way the IRS will contact a taxpayer. When a taxpayer receives a suspicious letter or notice, they can check to see if it's really the IRS…
Log in to their secure IRS Online Account to see if a copy of the notice or letter is in their file.
Review common IRS letters and notices at the Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter page on IRS.gov
Contact IRS Customer Service directly to authenticate it if they weren't able to authenticate in their online account.
Verify that any collection notice from a private collection agency has the same Taxpayer Authentication Number as the Notice CP40 the taxpayer received from the IRS. Taxpayers can visit “Private Debt Collection Frequently Asked Questions” to learn more about verifying a private collection agency.
Phone Calls:
After first mailing a notice or letter to a taxpayer, IRS agents may call to confirm an appointment or discuss items for a scheduled audit. Taxpayers should know that…
The IRS doesn't leave pre-recorded, urgent or threatening messages. Scammers will tell victims that if they do not call back, a warrant will be issued for their arrest. Anyone making threats is a scammer.
Private collection agencies contracted by the IRS may call taxpayers to collect certain outstanding inactive tax liabilities, but only after the taxpayer and their representative have received written notice.
The IRS and its authorized private collection agencies will never ask a taxpayer to pay using any form of pre-paid card, store card, or online gift card. Taxpayers can review the IRS payments page at IRS.gov/payments for all legitimate ways to make a payment.
Email, Text, and Social Media:
The IRS doesn't first contact taxpayers by email, text message, or social media channels to request personal or financial information. Some common electronic scams that thieves use are…
Sending phishing emails to taxpayers
Posing as an IRS social media account to contact taxpayers about a fake bill or refund
Texting taxpayers about fake "tax credits" or "stimulus payments"
These messages will often direct taxpayers to click fraudulent links they claim are IRS websites or other online tools. Again, the IRS will mail a letter or notice before calling or emailing, and it will never contact a taxpayer by social media or text message.
In-Person Visits:
The IRS recently ended most unannounced visits to taxpayers by agency revenue officers. Ending these unannounced visits to taxpayers will improve overall safety for taxpayers and IRS employees.
This document is designed for general information only. The information presented in this document should not be construed to be formal legal or tax advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.
For more information on this and other topics, please contact Kevin via any of the channels listed below:
📧 kevin@kmckernan.com | 📞 718-317-5007