INDIANA — Taxpayers nationwide are reporting unsolicited calls from scammers who claim to be with the IRS and demand immediate payment. It has been deemed the largest-ever phone fraud scam targeting taxpayers, costing victims an estimated $5 million in total. To date, 159 Hoosiers have reported this scam to Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s Office.
Potential phone scam victims might be told they owe money that must be paid immediately to the IRS or that they are entitled to a large refund. Warning: Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number. They also may be able to spoof the IRS toll-free number on Caller ID to make the call look legitimate.
Don’t fall victim to this scam. The IRS will never initiate contact over the phone. You will always be contacted first through official correspondence by mail. Additionally, the IRS will never ask you for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the phone.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS that you think might be a scam, hang up immediately. Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 yourself to confirm it was a scam. Then, report the scam to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484 or go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box to report the incident online.
You should also report these scams to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office by filing a consumer complaint online at www.indianaconsumer.com or by calling 1-888-834-9969.