Are you really with the IRS?

Today I missed a call from someone from Bath, Maine. Thankfully they left a message. Unfortunately the message that was left is one that any taxpayer in the US would find alarming...it seems that it was someone calling from the IRS!

When I listened to the message I was told that if I didn't call back immediately that I "will be taken under custody by the local cops." I also learned that there are "four serious allegations" against me and to call back to discuss my case before they take "legal action against me." That's pretty scary stuff!

I work at a company with a fantastic IT department. They have done a marvelous job of educating our staff on all types of phone and computer scams, so I was able to recognize that this was not a call from the IRS, (their bad syntax and the fact that I pay my taxes made me pretty sure this was a bogus call). But what about people that aren't as "tech savvy" or don't have access to information on the latest scams?

Thankfully it turns out that the IRS has put together some great resources for taxpayers to protect themselves from these type of fraudsters. One resource is a fact sheet, appropriately titled How to know it's really the IRS calling or knocking on your door. This is one to share with family, friends, clients and colleagues. They also have put together videos such as The IRS Is Calling Me? Is This for Real? and Tax Scams that help explain IRS procedures for communication and what to do if you've been contacted by fraudsters.

The sad reality is that there will always be scammers trying to steal money through tricks and lies. What can we do to protect ourselves? Expose their tricks, reach out to the proper authorities and share information.