The Internal Revenue Service has issued a warning to taxpayers about bogus phone calls from IRS impersonators demanding payment for a non-existent tax, the “federal student tax.”
Even though the tax deadline has come and gone, scammers continue to use varied strategies to trick people, in this case students. In this newest twist, they try to convince people to wire money immediately to the scammer. If the victim does not fall quickly enough for this fake “federal student tax,” the scammer threatens to report the student to the police.
“These scams and schemes continue to evolve nationwide, and now they trying to trick students,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Taxpayers should remain vigilant and not fall prey to these aggressive calls demanding immediate payment of a tax supposedly owed.”
The IRS will never:
-call you or email you directly. First they notify you by mail and then if you contact them, you then
have a contact person
-threaten to send police to your doorstep and issue a warrant for your arrest
-Ask to wire them money through western union or use prepaid gift card
-Ask for credit or debit card on the phone.
Some examples of the varied tactics seen this year are:
– Demanding immediate tax payment for taxes owed on an iTunes gift card.
– Soliciting Form W-2 information from payroll and human resources professionals. (IR-2016-34)
– “Verifying” tax return information over the phone. (IR-2016-40)
– Pretending to be from the tax preparation industry. (IR-2016-28)
If you get this scam phone call, immediately Contact TIGTA to report the call or call the IRS
at 800-829-1040. Definitely consult your tax professional.