Back Taxes Scam Calls - How to Protect Yourself

How the Scam Works

• Aggressive Tactics: Scammers exploit fear by threatening immediate jail time, deportation, or driver's license revocation.
• Caller ID Spoofing: They rig technology so their calls appear legitimate, sometimes displaying "Internal Revenue Service" or actual government phone numbers on your screen.
• Personal Data: Fraudsters may already have partial information about you, such as the last four digits of your Social Security number, to make the call sound real.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Hang Up Immediately: Do not engage with the caller, and never provide or confirm any personal, banking, or credit card information.
2. Do Not Call Back: Returning their call flags your phone number as active, inviting more spam.
3. Verify Your Status: If you genuinely believe you might owe taxes, contact the tax authority directly using an official phone number (such as calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040) rather than a number provided by the caller.
4. Use Official Portals: You can log into your account directly on the Official IRS Website to check your balance due securely.

Where to Report

If you receive one of these calls, you can report the incident to authorities to help protect others:

• File a fraud complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
• Report the impostor to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).