What’s scarier than receiving a notice from the IRS in the mail? For many Americans, it’s a phone call from Uncle Sam himself. The reason this is such a concern is that phone calls are NOT the means by which the IRS contacts tax payers. Imposters make such phone calls as part of a scam you need to be aware of. In fact, many clients of France Law have been receiving these fraudulent phone calls. We want to share the details here to help you protect your interests should you be targeted in a scam like this.

How It Works:

An imposter identifying himself/herself as an IRS agent calls, usually from a Washington, D.C area code (202 is a common one). The caller informs the individual that they owe a balance to the IRS and that agents are going to come arrest the individual unless they pay on the spot. The caller tries to arrange payment via Western Union or another means of money transfer.

Why It’s a Scam:

The official policy of the IRS is to ALWAYS notify taxpayers by mail if they have a balance due. Additionally, you always have an opportunity to respond to the notice, without being coerced into sending funds electronically via Western Union, prepaid debit cards, etc.

The IRS itself published a public service announcement alerting taxpayers to the scam – read more about it here.

What to Do If You Receive a Call:

First and foremost, do not send money, provide personal information, or comply with their demands. In our experience, the imposter terminates the call if you say that you would like them to call your attorney.

The IRS also recommends asking for a call back number and employee badge number from the caller. Call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 and provide the information you gathered and find out if any action is necessary on your part.

Here at France Law, we have attempted to call some of these scam phone numbers. Not surprisingly, calls from our office line that show up as ‘France Law Firm’ are unanswered. If a call is placed from a personal cell phone, it will be answered. However, as soon as we identify ourselves as a law firm calling in behalf of a client, the imposter hangs up.

So be smart and protect your interests against fraudulent scams and imposters. If you have questions about a tax issue or need help dealing with an IRS matter, then look to France Law!