Security Awareness for Taxpayers

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As tax season will be underway the tax scams are picking up.

Here are a few things you can do in order to protect yourself from these scams according to the IRS.

 

Note that the IRS will never:

 

1) Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.

2) Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

3) Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.

4) Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

5) Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

 

If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:

 

1) Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.

2) Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.

3) Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.

 

 

 

More information:

Security Summit Identity Theft Tips Overview
Tax Scams

 

IRS websites:

https://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts
https://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Urges-Public-to-Stay-Alert-for-Scam-Phone-Calls