Beware of IRS Phone Scams

phone scam, irs phone scam los angeles, credit union los angelesRecently, there have been a number of IRS phone scams and it doesn’t seem to be going away.  Because of this, we wanted to make you aware of this recent IRS phone scam.

Although you might be able to tell if you are being scammed, you would be surprised to know that these scammers are convincing and thorough.  They are very good at cheating people.  Here are some of the techniques they often use to fake a call from the IRS.

  • They use bogus names and IRS badge numbers
  • They often have your personal information, like the last four digits of your social security number
  • They make it appear on caller ID that the call is coming from the IRS
  • They threaten to call the police, or tell you that other bad things will happen if you don’t pay

Because these scammers can be so convincing, the IRS released a few guidelines of what the IRS will never ask for or do when collecting a debt. 

  1. Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice.
  2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
  3. Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
  4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
  5. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying

Although this particular phone scam seems to be more prevalent now than others, it’s important to watch out for frauds of all kinds.  If people are calling you demanding payment, offering you money, asking for your personal information, or are otherwise an unfamiliar entity, be sure to take your time to verify who they are and what the company does.  If it at all seems like a scam, it probably is.

We have a page on our website dedicated to consumer protection.  We strongly recommend that you review this information to educate yourself about the many common types of scams.

As always, if you have questions about anything, especially related to your accounts with us, you can give us a call at 800-835-3400.