IRS Scams continue to plague many across country

As federal regulators report a surge in tax-related fraud schemes, the AARP Fraud Watch Network has launched a campaign to help protect consumers from the “IRS imposter scam.”

Criminals impersonating agents of the Internal Revenue Service represent an escalating threat to taxpayers, according to the IRS. These con artists telephone people and tell them that they are in serious trouble for non-payment of back taxes.

The targets are aggressively threatened with police arrest, court action, confiscation of property, or even deportation unless they make immediate payment – usually via credit card, debit card or wire transfer. The Treasury Department reports since late 2013, more than 5,500 victims have lost about $29 million in this scam.

The Fraud Watch Network campaign is advising consumers that legitimate IRS representatives do not call you to demand immediate payment; call you about taxes owed without first having contacted you by mail; require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; or ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

For more information about the IRS scam and other tax-related frauds, visit www.aarp.org/FraudWatchNetwork.