IRS Warns Of Phone And E-Mail Scams
It won't be long before employees start getting their W-2 forms and begin preparing their tax returns.
This is also the time of year that phone calls start being made by people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service telling would be victims they owe backtaxes and must pay immediately or they will be jailed.
However Anny Pachner, who handles Media Relations for the Internal Revenue Service, told WBSM's Phil Paleologos that this is a scam, and not at all how the I.R.S. operates.
"The IRS is not going to call you before sending you a bill by mail, that's the first way that we contact you," said Pachner "and we certainly are not going to contact you and threaten you with arrest if you don't pay immediately. The IRS always gives you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount that you may owe."
Threatening phone calls aren't the only tactics that scammers use to target victims.
Pachner says they will also send out fraudulent e-mails in an attempt to obtain personal information that they will use to try and get money from the victim.
"What they want is for you to either provide your personal and financial information by e-mail, that would be your social security number, your credit card information, your debit card information, and they will either ask you for that information by e-mail or they will ask you to click on a link that pretends to be the IRS," said Pachner.
Often times when they get this information it will be used to file a fraudulent tax return in your name.
If you find out you've been a victim of this type of fraud Pachner says you should go the Internal Revenue Service's official website.
"We have there the steps that you need to follow in order to report this to the IRS," said Pachner, "the IRS has a variety of resources to help you through identity theft and to help you get everything worked out and in place.
These types of incidents have been reported in Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Acushnet, and other Southcoast communities.
If you do receive such a call you are advised to hang up immediately and anyone with concerns can contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.