ICYMI: Better Business Bureau Warns of IRS Impersonators

The Better Business Bureau serving Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont said it has received numerous complaints of aggressive calls from fake Internal Revenue Service agents.

The IRS impersonation scam is one of the most persistent scams and reappears every few months, the BBB said. Residents will receive a call from someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The most recent form of the con features an “IRS agent” informing the resident that they are being sued for unpaid taxes, the BBB said. During the call, the IRS impersonator will provide a fake badge number and name.

The “IRS agent” tries pressuring the person receiving the call into paying a fee using a prepaid debit card or a wire transfer. If the person does not pay the money immediately, the IRS impersonator will “sign a warrant for your arrest,” the bureau said.

The BBB warns, no matter how much the caller threatens you, do not fall for it.

Here are some tips and advice to spotting a fake IRS agent from the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont:

• Be wary if you are being asked to act immediately. Often times scammers try to push you into action before you have time to think. The IRS, however, will give you the opportunity to question or appeal what you owe.
• The IRS does not call, text or email about payment or overdue taxes without first contacting you through the mail.
• Do not wire money or use a prepaid debit card. Scammers often pressure people into wiring money or using a prepaid debit card. It is like sending cash: once it is gone, you cannot trace it, the BBB said. The IRS will never demand immediate payment, require a specific form of payment, or ask for credit cards or debit cards over the phone.
• If you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 or irs.gov. Representatives with the IRS will be able to assist you with any payment issues, if any exist. However, if you know you do not owe taxes, report the scamming incident to the Department of the Treasury at 800-366-4484 or tigta.gov.