A reader is getting pestered by those annoying scammers and wonders what she should do next.
“I’ve gotten 3 calls from a scumbag telling me I’m about to be arrested by the IRS for unpaid taxes. 😍
I just hung up, but am wondering should I have taken the number and reported it to the BBB or someone else?”
I sometimes enjoy playing with these scammers for a bit and then I start shouting that they’ll never take me alive or sometimes blow a nice whistle right into their ears. But taking down the number and reporting them to the authorities is the wisest course of action, though it may not do much good. Most of these calls come from out of the country. You could report it to the BBB and they might mention it in their scam alerts, but the BBB is really an organization designed to mediate disputes between legitimate businesses and consumers. After all, scammers really don’t care if they’re accredited by the BBB.
IRS fraud can be reported to the IRS by going to this link: https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml
There’s a handy form to fill out to describe the incident in detail.
You can also follow this link: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?NextQID=216&Selected=t%20-%20crnt#crnt to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission.
Remember that the IRS will NEVER do any of the following:
- Call demanding an immediate payment. The IRS won’t call taxpayers if they owe taxes without first sending a bill in the mail.
- Demand payment without allowing taxpayers to question or appeal the amount owed.
- Demand that taxpayers pay their taxes in a specific way, such as with a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten to contact local police or similar agencies to arrest taxpayers for non-payment of taxes.
- Threaten legal action, such as a lawsuit.
If you’ve paid money to anyone making any threats like the ones above, you’ve been scammed and need to report the incident to the IRS immediately.