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Phone Scammers Prey on Alabamians
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama is sounding the alarm on a telephone scam in which the caller claims to be an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) representative.
The scammers demand immediate payment and threaten legal action or arrest, often using a portion of the victim’s Social Security number. However, taxpayers should be aware that the IRS usually makes initial contact with people by mail, not by phone, about unpaid taxes or other tax issues.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s (TIGTA) Complaint Hotline Center has received over 225,000 contacts about this scam since October of last year, with reports of over $11 million in losses.
“The volume of complaints received by TIGTA’s Complaint Hotline Center about this scam is unprecedented in TIGTA’s 15-year history,” said Timothy P. Camus, TIGTA’s Deputy Inspector General for Investigations.
Taxpayers should remember that the IRS does not ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer, and they will not ask for a credit card number over the phone. If you receive a suspicious call and you owe Federal taxes, hang up and call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
IRS workers can help you with your payment questions. If you do not owe Federal taxes or have no reason to believe you owe any taxes, call and report the incident to TIGTA at 1-800-366-4484,” Camus urged.
U.S. Attorney Timothy P. Camus is urging people to stay vigilant and avoid becoming a victim if they receive contact out of the blue from someone claiming to be from the IRS who demands money.
Camus said, “Federal, State and local law enforcement and consumer protection officials are doing an outstanding job educating taxpayers about the scam and encouraging victims to contact TIGTA.”
If you have fallen victim to this scam, the most effective way for individuals to report scam attempts and losses is by filling out the ‘IRS Impersonation scam’ form on TIGTA’s website, www.treasury.gov/tigta.
Contact Clark Morris at usaalm.press@usdoj.gov or (334) 551-1755 for more information.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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