IRS Impersonation Scam Information

With tax season upon us criminals are hard at work trying to scam people out of their money.  The San Rafael Police Department is dedicated to proactively educating our community to help prevent people from being victimized.  Here are a few types of scams to look out for:

• Phone call scam, where someone calls up claiming to be from the IRS and asking you to provide personal information.
• A variation of the phone call scam where the scammer calls claiming to be from the IRS or a debt collection agency and claims the victim owes the IRS money.  The scammer will demand immediate payment in order to avoid punishment, such as fines or arrest.
• The fraudulent tax return scam, where the criminal will use stolen personal information to file a false tax return for the victim.  The scammer will either have the fraudulent tax return deposited into their own account, or will call the victim after the return has been deposited into the victim’s bank account and claim to be from the IRS or a debt collector.  They will claim there has been a problem with the return and demand the victim sends them money from the fraudulent return.
• Accountants and tax preparers are targets for data theft via phishing emails.

Protect yourself from potential fraud.  Remember, if you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, the IRS will never:

• Ask for your personal information such as SSN or bank account number
• Demand payment via a specific method, such as a prepaid card
• Demand instant payment
• Threaten you with arrest
• Tell you that you do not have the right to appeal or speak with a tax professional
• If in doubt, hang up the phone

If you need to speak with someone from the IRS to verify your tax status, use the contact information from the below link:

https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance

If you believe you have been the victim of an IRS impersonation scam, report it to the Treasury Inspector General’s office using the online form at the following link:

https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml

For more information from the San Rafael Police Department about tax scams, please follow this link:

Stay vigilant, and if you have any doubt, questions, or need advice, call the San Rafael Police Department at (415) 485 – 3000.