The Illinois Attorney General says there’s a renewal of what’s become an annual phone scam. Attorney General Lisa Madigan says mostly older people are receiving the phony IRS calls.
The scammers are using threatening language to encourage people to send money for unpaid taxes. They use a spoof phone number that appears to belong to the IRS, often from the (202) area code in Washington D.C.
The Attorney General says the IRS does not call people to tell them they owe money. She says those receiving such calls should hang up immediately and report the calls to the IRS.
The attorney general’s office also shows an increase in reports of tax-related identity theft.
TIPS and CONTACTS:
The Attorney General says the number one step consumers can take to combat tax related identity theft is to file their returns as soon as possible and offers additional tips for consumers to avoid becoming the victim of tax-related identity theft:
The IRS does NOT initiate contact with taxpayers to request personal or financial information through any form of electronic communication, including email, text messages and social media channels;
Do not open or reply to any emails claiming to be from the IRS that contain a request for personal information;
Request a call back number and employee badge number from anyone claiming to be an IRS agent so that you may independently confirm the phone number and agent;
Report any suspicious IRS electronic correspondence to phishing@irs.gov;
Report any IRS telephone impersonation scams or suspicious IRS paper mail or fax correspondence to the TIGTA Hotline at 1-800-366-4484; and
Contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1 (800) 908-4490 or visit the IRS’ website to report tax-related identity theft: www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft.
Consumers can also contact Madigan’s Identity Theft Hotline at 1 (866) 999-5630 for tax-related identity theft assistance.
