Is the IRS Really Calling You? How to Spot an IRS Phone Scam
By Matt Whittaker, TD Ameritrade Ticker Tape Contributor
January 14, 2020
About a year ago, Alex Reffett got a call from someone saying he owed thousands of dollars in taxes. The person gave him a bank account where he could wire the money, and Reffett said would go to the bank to complete the transfer. But when he began showing some skepticism, the caller threatened to send the police.
As a financial professional, Reffett knew the call was an IRS phone scam, and he decided to play along to see how far it would go. He might learn useful information for his clients. But for regular folks, he recommended hanging up on suspicious callers immediately.
“It can be pretty hostile and confusing if you’re not aware that it’s a scam,” said Reffett, principal and cofounder of East Paces Group and a registered investment advisor. “I have empathy for the people affected—scammers can be aggressive.”
Criminals who use mail, telephone, or email to collect bogus tax money have scammed thousands of people out of millions of dollars, as well as sensitive personal information, according to the IRS. Here are a few tips from Reffett and other financial professionals to help you avoid becoming the victim of a fake IRS scam.
Click here to read the full article on the TD Ameritrade website.