IRS scam

A concerned citizen called the Madison County Carrier to inform Madison County residents that she received a scam phone call from (415) 234-0491. The IRS is aware of the scam and it is an ongoing scam. The callers claim to be from the IRS and have important information about your taxes or that there was an error on your taxes and you owe a substantial amount of money. Please do not give the caller any information. The IRS wants people to know that they can easily recognize when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. There are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a telltale sign of a scam. The IRS will never: • Call to demand immediate payment, nor will they call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill. • Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. • Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card. • Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. • Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, there are three options for you. If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue. If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov. You can also file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. Remember, the IRS does not use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue involving bills or refunds. For more information on tax scams, go to www.irs.gov.