IRS warns against scam phone calls, emails

DETROIT – The IRS is warning the public against fake IRS phone calls and emails, which can take many different forms.

Recently, the most common scams are calls and messages from thieves who pretend to be from the IRS by using the official logo or creating a fake website to try to steal your money. These scams can also be an attempt to steal your identity.

The IRS offers the following tips to help you avoid being a victim of these scams:

• The IRS will not initiate contact with you by phone, email, text or social media to ask for your personal or financial information.
• The IRS will not call you and demand immediate payment.
• The IRS will not call about taxes you owe without first mailing you a bill.
• The IRS will not require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For example, telling you to pay with a prepaid debit card.
• Be wary if you get a phone call from someone who claims to be from the IRS and demands that you pay immediately.
• If you don't think you owe taxes, contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Use TIGTA's "IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting" web page to report the incident.
• You should also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the "FTC Complaint Assistant on FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your report.
• If you think you owe taxes, ask for a call back number and an employee badge number.
• If you think you owe taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to get help from IRS employees.

In most cases, an IRS phishing scam is an unsolicited, bogus email that claims to come from the IRS. They often use fake refunds, phony tax bills, or threats of an audit. Some emails link to sham websites that look real.  The scammers' goal is to lure victims to give up their personal and financial information. If they get what they're after, they use it to steal a victim's money or identity.

If you get a phishing email,

• Don't reply to the message
• Don't give out any personal or financial information
• Forward the email to phishing@irs.gov, then delete the email
• Don't open any attachments or click on any links. They may have malicious code that will infect your computer

For more information on how to report phishing or phone scams, visit the IRS website. You can click here to learn more about IRS social media.