Scammers indentifying themselves as IRS agents are preying on people this tax season. Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell says several local residents have received phone calls from people with foreign accents claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service and telling them they owed back taxes. The scammers then threatened them with arrest if they didn’t pay immediately.
Terrell says don’t fall for it.
“The IRS isn’t going to call you. If you get a call like that, be suspicous. Get the information and forward it to the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and we’ll forward it to the FBI.” He cautions, “Don’t pay any money over the phone with a Smart Card or through Western Union. That’s not how the IRS operates.”
Dirty Dozen List of Tax Scams for the 2015 Filing Season.
If you do owe back taxes the IRS will send you notices in the mail. After three unanswered notices the agency will place a lien on your property or garnish wages to recoup the debt. The IRS does not accept payments over the phone. The agency does accept online payments through certified vendors. For a list of legitimate payments options visit the IRS website or contact them directly.
