Indiana State Police officials continue to warn everyone of telephone scammers claiming to be with the IRS. These scammers will call claiming you owe money or have a refund. They are trying to trick you into releasing important information. They may know a lot about you, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Fake names and incorrect ID badge numbers are given to make you believe it is the IRS.
There are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not. They may call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice. They may also demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. The caller will ask for your credit or debit card number over the phone or require you to use a specific payment method. A threat could be issued to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
The IRS does not use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue. If you think you are being called by a scammer, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for tax administration at 1-800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov. If you think you owe taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to talk about payment options. For additional information about tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type scam in the search box.
