You’ve probably gotten one of these calls: They say it’s the IRS and they’re filing a lawsuit against you for back taxes. They may threaten to arrest or deport you. What do you do? Watch this video to learn more:
The FTC worked with AARP to create a series of videos about imposter scams – including IRS imposters, Medicare scams, and robocalls. While the videos are aimed at older Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the tips apply to everyone. Last week, we highlighted Medicare scams; this week, it’s IRS imposters. Next week, stay tuned for robocalls.
In the video, you’ll hear how these calls may sound – and then learn to spot and avoid these scammers. So, if you get a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS:
- Hang up. Don’t give personal or financial information to someone claiming to be from the IRS. If in doubt, call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040.
- Don’t send money by wire transfer, prepaid card or gift card to someone claiming to be from the IRS. That’s a scam. The IRS will not require a specific type of payment.
- Report the call. Report phony IRS calls to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at tigta.gov or to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. The more we hear from you, the more we can help fight scams.
- Tell your community. Let your family and friends know about IRS imposters.
For more information about stopping imposter scams, visit ftc.gov/imposters. And to learn about how to stop unwanted calls, including using call blocking technology, go to ftc.gov/calls.
To read a version of this blog post in Tagalog, click here. Upang mabasa ang bersyon ng blog post na ito sa Tagalog, mag-click dito.
To read a version of this blog post in Korean, click here.
이 블로그 포스트를 한국어로 보시려면 여기를 클릭하세요.
To read a version of this blog post in Traditional Chinese, click here.
如需閱讀此篇博客的繁體中文版,請點擊這裡。
To read a version of this blog post in Simplified Chinese, click here.
如需阅读此篇博客的简体中文版,请点击这里。
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.
In reply to Thank you I really appreciate by Vfhaynes
In reply to Please provide authentic IRS by comment
This is from the IRS website:
The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service.
However, there are special circumstances in which the IRS will call or come to a home or business, such as when a taxpayer has an overdue tax bill, to secure a delinquent tax return or a delinquent employment tax payment, or to tour a business as part of an audit or during criminal investigations.
Even then, taxpayers will generally first receive several letters (called “notices”) from the IRS in the mail.
In reply to This is from the IRS website: by FTC Staff
In reply to I would have to have the FTC by moorezip
In reply to These scammers have by Rapunzel
In reply to These scammers have by Rapunzel