The IRS issued an alert in response to numerous reports of on-going, aggressive phone scams. Taxpayers have reported receiving suspicious calls from people purporting to be IRS representatives.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that the IRS will never:

1) Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill;

2) Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe;

3) Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card;

4) Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or

5) Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

You may report a scam incident you experience to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at (800) 366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov.

The IRS also asks that you report the scam incident to the Federal Trade Commission by using their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov and adding “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.

Source: www.irs.gov