In a recent blog post, we warned readers about the IRS phone scam and provided tips to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of scam phone calls. We now have more information that we feel is important to add.

An article in New York Times states that since October 2013, there have been about 900,000 reports of IRS scam phone calls. It is estimated that about 5,000 individuals became victims and about $26 million was lost to the IRS scam callers. The article also warns that the scam artists use various caller ID tactics to trick you into answering them and giving into their demands. They may alter the caller ID to display a Washington area code, the area code of your town, your own phone number, or even the actual IRS phone number. It is absolutely critical to remember that the IRS will NEVER call you and demand immediate payment. The IRS does all of its correspondence via snail mail first and will NEVER, under any circumstances, call you and ask you to transfer money immediately or threaten arrest. The IRS has published information to help get the word out at
https://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Urges-Public-to-Stay-Alert-for-Scam-Phone-Calls.

Their website includes information about the scam calls, lists what the IRS will not do, suggests what you should do if you received a phone call from the IRS scammers, and provides YouTube and Podcast examples of the scam calls. We urge readers to thoroughly review the information provided by the IRS to ensure that you do not become a victim of the latest scam.