Press Release
Rep. Smith Warns of New and Dangerous IRS Phone ScamU.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who represents parts of Monmouth, Mercer and Ocean counties, today warned of a dangerous new telephone scam being used to target individuals across the country, with seniors at particular risk. Reports of this new scam have increased throughout the country in recent days, prompting a call to action by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In this latest con, callers will claim to be from the IRS and tell the victim that two letters have been sent to their home address, but were returned as undeliverable. The scam artist will then pressure the victim, including threatening to send police to arrest them, if payment is not made immediately through a prepaid debit card or some form of gift card. This payment would be demanded without the victim being given the time to contact their tax preparer, an attorney or the local IRS office. In addition, with the latest scam, the fraudster will often falsely claim that their system is tied to the IRS’ Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) in an attempt to further mislead the victim. The EFTPS system is automated and a taxpayer would never receive a call about this system from the IRS. The IRS notes that claiming to be calling about the EFTPS is a sign of illegal activity on the part of the caller. “Even though the 2017 tax season is behind us, we must stay vigilant against this and other scams year round,” said Smith. “In particular, with laws and regulations covering the IRS being complicated and subject to frequent revision, we must ensure that seniors—who are the main targets of these scammers—know about these dirty tricks. Tell your friends, parents and grandparents, together we can fight back against these schemes.” Key facts from the IRS: The IRS (and its authorized private collection agencies) will never:
For anyone who doesn’t owe taxes and has no reason to think they do:
For anyone who owes tax or thinks they do:
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