There Was a Spike in IRS Gift Card Scams This Summer
Tax fraudsters worked overtime, according to the IRS. They just issued a warning about an increase in telephone fraud from IRS impersonators, including that scammers are demanding taxes owed on gift cards.
The IRS will usually never ask for payment over the phone from the beginning (unless they already sent you a bill), and they certainly will never threaten you with arrest. These are a few red flags that you should keep in mind all year round , but the IRS filing details some of the specific types of scams that have been perpetrated recently.
They note that they have witnessed an increase in the number of calls from robots, which prompt people to call back, and then a living person demands payment. The statement reads:
The latest trend is that IRS impersonators require payment through iTunes and other gift cards. The IRS reminds taxpayers that any request to pay a tax bill by depositing money into any form of gift card is a clear sign of fraud.
Here are some examples of the varied tactics used this year:
- Claiming the payment of the “Federal Student Tax”. See IR-2016-81 .
- Claiming immediate payment of taxes due from iTunes or other type of gift card.
- Getting W-2 information from payroll and HR professionals. See IR-2016-34 .
- “Checking” the information in the tax return by phone. See IR-2016-40 .
- Pretends to work in the tax industry. See IR-2016-28.
For more information, see the full IRS statement at the link below.