Pennsylvania State Police Warn of IRS Phone Scam

Pennsylvania State Police have issued a warning about a 'large' and 'pervasive' impersonation scam involving the IRS.

This phone scam has been reported across the country and victims of this scam receive a call where the person on the other end of the line claims to be an IRS employee. They us a fake name and IRS identification badge number.

The reason so many people are falling for this phone scam is that the people doing the scamming are very convincing and often know a lot of details about the person they're calling. They also alter their phone number to make it seem that the IRS really is calling.

Some victims have been told they owed a refund, as an attempt to trick victims into providing personal information. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reports that more than 10,000 of these calls each week have been made to households across the country.

The IRS reminds people that there are five things that scammers will do, but that the IRS won't. If you get a call and any of these things happen, you're probably talking to a scammer.  The IRS will never:

1. Call to demand payment or call regarding taxes without having first sent you a mail notice.

2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the chance to question or appeal they amount they say you owe.

3. Threaten to contact your local police to have you arrested for not paying.

4. Require a specific payment method for paying your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.

5. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

If you've received a phone call from someone claiming to be with the IRS requesting money for bank information, you've probably been scammed. If you know that you owe taxes, or have a feeling that you might, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 for help. If you know that you don't owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4404.

Keep in mind that the IRS doesn't use unsolicited email, text or social media to discuss your personal taxes.