American Tax Advocates Scam Calls

Scam calls impersonating "American Tax Advocates," "Taxpayer Advocate Service," or the IRS are common, aiming to steal money or personal data by claiming you owe back taxes or are under investigation. These fraudsters use high-pressure tactics, threatening arrest or immediate payment via gift cards. Hang up immediately; the IRS does not initiate contact this way.

Tax Scam Call

Threats of Arrest: Scammers threaten immediate arrest, deportation, or license revocation.
Immediate Payment Demand: Demanding payment via prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or wire transfers.
Unexpected Contact: The IRS typically sends a letter first, not a surprise phone call.
Request for Personal Information: Asking for Social Security numbers or banking details.
Spoofed Caller ID: Numbers may appear to be from legitimate agencies like the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) or IRS.

Protect Yourself

Hang Up: Do not engage with the caller.
Verify Independently: If you suspect you owe taxes, find the official agency number directly from their website, not from the caller, as noted in advice from the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
Report the Call: Report the scam to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or on their website.
Report to FTC: Use the FTC Complaint Assistant at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

TAS Will Never Ask

TAS employees will never ask for credit card numbers or anything that doesn't directly relate to your tax account, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service (.gov).

Taxpayer Advocate Service (.gov)

If you receive these calls, do not provide any information and report the incident immediately, as explained in the IRS warning about tax scams.