What Do I Do If I Receive a Suspicious IRS-Related Telephone Call?

What Do I Do If I Receive a Suspicious IRS-Related Telephone Call?

As it states on the IRS website: IRS impersonation telephone calls – as well as other types of unwanted calls (e.g., telemarketing robocalls, fake grants, tech support, sweepstakes winnings, etc.) remain popular scams. Blocking these types of calls is one strategy taxpayers should consider. Easy to install call blocking software for smartphones is available. While the IRS does not endorse any solution or brand, a limited sample of the available options are:

Consumer Reports - https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/07/robocall-blocker-review/index.htm

Consumer's Union - https://consumersunion.org/end-robocalls/solutions/

CTIA - https://www.ctia.org/consumer-tips/robocalls

Indiana AG - https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/files/Call%20Blocking%20Options%208.12.16.pdf

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS but you suspect they are not an IRS employee:

  • View your tax account information online or review their payment options at IRS.gov to see the actual amount owed
  • If the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you, please call them back using the appropriate online resources

If the individual is not an IRS employee and does not have a legitimate need to contact you and regardless of whether you were a victim of the scam or not, report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement agencies:

  • If IRS-related, please report to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) via their online complaint form.
  • If Treasury-related, please report to the Office of the Treasury Inspector General (TIG) via OIGCounsel@oig.treas.gov

Please report IRS or Treasury-related fraudulent calls to phishing@irs.gov (Subject: IRS Phone Scam).

For any fraudulent call, after listening to the message, do not provide any information and hang up. When you report the fraudulent call, please include:

  • The telephone number of the caller (e.g., Caller ID)
  • The telephone number you were instructed to call back
  • A brief description of the communication

If possible, please include:

  • The employee name
  • The employee badge number
  • The exact date and time that you received the call(s)
  • The geographic location and time zone where you received the call if possible

In addition, please consider filing a complaint with the:

  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via their online complaint form
  • Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by visiting the Consumer Complaint Center. Consumers should select the “phone” form and then the “Unwanted Calls” under “Phone Issues”, and provide details of the call in the description of their complaint
  • Your local Attorney General’s office via their consumer complaint form (the reporting mechanism will vary by state)
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