How to Detect an IRS Phone Scam

Many people across the US have received unsolicited phone calls from people who claim to be IRS officials. The IRS reports that they receive complaints from people about fake phone calls all the time. The scam artist callers tell their victims that they owe cash to the government or the IRS. The scammers can also be threatening to the call recipients.

People have lost entire life savings because of these scams, and, in most cases, you cannot recover your money. What the scammers do is they use ID spoofing to get hold of your money. They may appear to be calling from the IRS offices; they use certain case numbers and IRS jargon so that it may look legitimate. They often ask victims to load money onto prepaid cards because they are harder to trace.
How can you detect the scam?

Keep these five things in mind when talking to suspicious callers:

1. 1. IRS will never call you before mailing you an official notice.
   2. If they demand or threaten you without letting you question or appeal, they are scam artists.
   3. If they force you into using a certain method for paying your taxes, it is probably a scam. The IRS always provides different payment options.
   4. If they want your debit or credit card information over the phone, they are trying to scam you. The IRS never does this.
   5. If they become threatening to the extent that they bring in the question of having you arrested, they are definitely scammers. The IRS does not get verbally aggressive in this manner.