Hello? Is This Really the IRS, or Just a Scam?
No one enjoys getting a call from the IRS, but getting a call from someone who claims to be from the IRS, but who is really just a scammer, is even worse. However, according to the country’s top tax agency, that is exactly the kind of sophisticated and elaborate scam that has been going on lately.
The IRS says that the scam has occurred all over the country and has even taken aim at recent immigrants. According to the IRS, the scammers use fake names and IRS ID numbers. The scammers also apparently already have detailed information about the people they call and they are also able to alter their caller ID number so it appears to be coming from the tax agency.
The con artists then claim that the taxpayer owes money to the IRS and demand prompt payment for the debt. They also threaten jail time, license suspension or even deportation in some cases. The IRS absolutely does not use these kinds of tactics.
According to the IRS website it will never do the following things when it calls:
- Demand immediate payment. In fact, the IRS won’t even call you about taxes owed until mailing you first.
- Demand that you pay taxes without letting you question or appeal the amount you reportedly owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method, like a prepaid debit card, for your taxes.
- Ask for debit or credit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten to have you arrested by any law-enforcement groups for not paying your debt.
You can learn more about this and other tax-related scams by visiting the IRS consumer alerts page. You can also contact us at GROCO by clicking here.
How the Wealthy Save on Taxes
Whether you make minimum wage or you’re in the richest 1 percent of earners, every taxpayer likes to keep as much of his or her hard-earned income as possible. There are hundreds of ways to save on taxes and many of these strategies are universal to all taxpayers no matter which tax bracket they…
How the Internet Became Commercial
What’s Behind the Commercial movement of the Internet? Believe it or not the Internet was not originally created to share your life on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram or to watch movies, play games or follow your favorite pastime. When it was first invented, the military and research universities were the primary…
Critical Decisions When Launching a Startup
There are countless aspects to launching a startup company. To do it successfully a founder has to make many critical decisions and be right on most of them. Many entrepreneurs have a great idea or product with great plans to make it successful. However, they don’t make the right business decisions, which leads to their…
How to Keep the Wealthy From Fleeing Connecticut
When it comes to saving on taxes the wealthy have to continually consider all their options because lawmakers never seem to stop pushing for more legislation aimed at making the wealthy pay more taxes. Lately, it seems that there are more and more reports of the nation’s wealthiest individuals living in high-tax locations deciding…