The Berks County District Attorney’s Office has received numerous citizen complaints that residents of our County have been targeted by unknowns, who are engaging in a scam to obtain monies under the pretense that they work for the IRS. We would like to provide citizens with a few tips to prevent them from being victims of IRS tax fraud. Since 2013, the IRS has identified more than 5,000 victims nationwide. Collectively, these victims have lost more than 26.5 million dollars to fraudsters.
The people committing IRS tax fraud will contact the victim via telephone. They will tell the potential victim they owe the IRS money. The call may be by a robocall system or may be a real person. The caller may even know the last four digits of your social security number. The caller will demand immediate payment to clear up the “tax problem.” If you do not agree to immediately pay the alleged money owed, the caller may threaten by to call the police or threaten deportation.
The Berks County District Attorney’s Office wants citizens to know this is not how the IRS goes about doing business. In general, the IRS initially contacts citizens through the mail. This way the IRS has a record of their correspondence with you. Secondly, the IRS never demands immediate payment for monies owed. They have an established process to resolve tax issues and immediate payment over the phone is not one of those processes. Finally, the IRS have their own law enforcement officers. Therefore, they have no need to call the local police on anyone.
What should you do if you receive a call from an IRS fraudster? Immediately hang-up! As stated, the IRS makes initial contact through the mail. If you think you may owe taxes contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. A customer service representative will check for you. The IRS suggests you contact them at either www.tigta.gov, or 1-800-366-4484 to file a report. When filing a report, the IRS will request the date/time, and telephone number of the caller. Or, you can file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.
