Scammers claiming to be IRS agents are attempting to separate unsuspecting people from their money. That was the case recently in LaPorte, where a woman was swindled out of $600. She told police a man at “Russ Card Live” identified himself as an IRS agent, told her she was being sued and she needed to send $600 via Money Gram pre-paid card to an address in California.
Police say aggressive callers claim to be IRS employees and tell victims they owe money and need to pay it immediately. They threaten them with arrest, suspension of driver’s licenses or deportation. Sometimes they promise a refund to trick you into sharing financial information. Often they have some personal information already and may disguise caller ID to reflect the IRS is calling.
If you know you owe taxes, call the agency at 1-800-829-1040. That is a dedicated line with IRS employees who can help resolve any payment issues.
If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think you do, call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484. You can also file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant. Choose “other” and then “imposter scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
