IRS scam strikes home
Staff Have you received a call from the IRS lately? Chances are it was a prank, one of several being perpetuated in Cannon and surrounding counties by a con-man or a series of con artists trying to steal money from law-abiding citizens. “We received a prank call some a man who said he was from the IRS. It sounded really legitimate at first,” said a Woodbury resident who wished to stay anonymous. “He had us going at first. My husband was really torn up,” the woman said. “But the caller was soon demanding $2,400 in cash and telling us not to notify authorities,” she said. The Internal Revenue Service has issued a consumer alert providing additional tips to protect themselves from telephone scam artists calling and pretending to be with the IRS. These callers may demand money or may say you have a refund due and try to trick you into sharing private information. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may know a lot about you, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. If you don’t answer, they often leave an “urgent” callback request. “These telephone scams are being seen in every part of the country, and we urge people not to be deceived by these threatening phone calls,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “We have formal processes in place for people with tax issues. The IRS respects taxpayer rights, and these angry, shake-down calls are not how we do business.” 1. Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice. If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or atwww.tigta.gov.
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