IRS phone impersonation scam tricks thousands

Thousands of people across the country have been duped by the most pervasive tax scam the Department of the Treasury has ever seen.

People have been victimized in every state in the United States, with reported losses totaling more than $15 million.

In the scam, the victim receives an unsolicited phone call from a person claiming to be an IRS agent. The caller claims the victim owes more taxes and is criminally liable for the amount owed. The caller may know personal information about the victim, including the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number.

John Pierre, a 69-year-old Louisiana man, was conned out of more than $28,000. He was surprised at how much the scammers knew about him.

“They knew my address. They knew my wife’s name. They knew where I was working,” Pierre said.

The con artists told Pierre to pay them in prepaid debit cards, making it more difficult to track the crooks and for Pierre to get the money back. Pierre was also told there was a warrant out for his arrest.

“I never went to jail and I’m not interested in going to jail,” Pierre said. “So really I was under pressure and threatened, so I said, ‘OK, I will pay.'”

As of March 9, 3,052 people have been victimized by this scam and the average loss was $5,000. Scam artists can also make their phone number appear to be an IRS phone number or one from a law enforcement agency.

The IRS says an agent will never call you or email you to ask for a payment and it will never ask for payment through a prepaid debit card. The IRS will send you a letter in the mail if there is a problem with your payment.