Sunday Spin2: IRS calling? Probably not

The phone rang before dawn on Wednesday, and the voice on the other end of the line said I was being given my last warning before the IRS filed legal action against me for unpaid taxes. Or something close to that. I wasn’t awake before the phone rang, but was pretty awake afterwards.

The recorded voice said to call a number with a Bronx Area Code.

This was pretty suspicious – whatever one may think about the IRS, they are unlikely to be waking taxpayers from a sound sleep and threatening them from across the country with court action. I called the public information office at the IRS Seattle office instead.

David Tucker confirmed this is a scam going on all over the country with several variations. Some people are tricked into sending money or giving up bank information. The perpetrators are hard to catch because they move around and change numbers quickly. But in general, the agency has advice for anyone to help spot a scam.

First, the IRS doesn’t call to demand immediate repayment. It also doesn’t demand payment without letting you to question or appeal the amount you owe. It doesn’t say you have to pay a certain way, like with a prepaid debit card which is a favorite of the scammers. It doesn’t ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone. It doesn’t call to threaten to send the local police or other agencies to arrest you.

If you get such a call, hang up. They may call back. Hang up again.