This scam has been in the news lately. Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe not.
I received a phone call this morning from a guy with a foreign accent who asked for my wife by name and said he was from the IRS. I simply hung up on him. (Thinking about it later, I wished that I had suggested he perform an anatomically impossible sexual act on himself. But it’s probably a better policy to not provoke scammers. They know where you live.)
The IRS has warned the public about this scam on their website. The IRS “will always send taxpayers a written notification of any tax due via the U.S. mail” and “never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone.”
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Reiterates-Warning-of-Pervasive-Telephone-Scam
After hanging up on the caller, I called 911 to report him to the police. The 911 dispatcher told me the FBI investigates these “IRS impersonation” calls and gave me a phone number, 1-800-366-4484. Calling that number gets you a recorded message that directs you to a website, www.tigta.gov, where you’ll find a menu selection option called “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting.” Clicking on it takes you to an online form. Filling out the form, which I did, takes a few minutes.
Remember, the IRS never asks anyone for money on the phone. They always send a notification letter if the IRS determines you owe money. The scammers who impersonate IRS agents are trying to scare you into giving them personal information or making a credit or debit card payment that will end up in their pockets. If you get one of these calls, assume it’s not the IRS calling, and hang up. The anatomically impossible sexual act is optional
.