Have You Gotten a Call from Someone Claiming to be the IRS?
Given the employees at Smith Leonard have received multiple calls this week from IRS scammers, we wanted to be sure our clients and community friends are aware of the prevalence of these types of scams and what red flags exist within these types of calls or emails. Commonly, these individuals are reaching out with threats of jail time and arrest warrants if money or information is not immediately provided.
Even the accountants aren’t immune, so here are a few tips to protect yourself:
- The IRS will not send you notices via fax, email, or social media: If the IRS has an issue, they are going to start by sending you notices through the US Postal Service. The notices will give you a time frame in which to respond and you always have the option to appeal.
- The IRS will not call you to demand immediate payment using specific payment types.
- They will not report you to the police, immigration or other law enforcement for your immediate arrest. Your driver’s license will not be suspended.
- Beware of a common email scam: You may receive a phishing email titled “Internal Revenue Service Email No. XXXX | We’re processing your request soon.” The email then asks you for personal information and has an electronic signature link. If you receive an email that looks like it’s from the IRS, forward it to phishing@irs.gov.
For more information, see the IRS Article, “How to know it’s really the IRS calling or knocking on your door.”
Additionally, become more educated on all types of IRS scams via this IRS Consumer Alert.
