It’s IRS Impersonation Scam Season

It’s IRS Impersonation Scam Season

This is the time of year when a lot of people have recently filed their taxes, are in the process of filing their taxes, or are planning to do so soon. Which also means peak IRS Impersonation Scam season is upon us.

Here are some ways to stay safe.

First, remember that the IRS is not going to call or email you about past due taxes. If yours really are overdue, you will be notified by postal mail.

The IRS does not demand immediate payment, then threaten taxpayers with immediate arrest. In other words, the IRS doesn't contact you out of the blue to say "pay now or the local police will be at your door in one hour." While actual tax fraud is a crime and will land you in jail, that process has a lot of steps and takes quite some time. It's not a matter of a single afternoon. Also, if the IRS says you owe back taxes, you're allowed to appeal or question the amount; it's not "because we said so, no questions, pay now or go to jail."

The IRS does not accept payment by wire transfer, nor does it accept CashApp, Venmo, PayPal, Bitcoin or gift card. All of these methods are used by scammers because they're not very traceable, and very irreversible.

The IRS won't threaten to "suspend" or "cancel" your Social Security Number. This threat makes zero sense, but scammers sometimes use it to frighten potential victims into paying.

While these tips are specific to the IRS and the tax system in general, they really serve as a reminder to never take any strange caller or unexpected email at face value. Anyone attempting to make you afraid, then asking for money or personal information, should be met with extreme suspicion.