The IRS sends letters through the mail, but so do scammers.
Some IRS scams are really easy to spot because they rely on odd payment methods like phone calls and prepaid credit cards. Because of this, some cunning scammers remain in the mail and send fake IRS letters to trick taxpayers into paying fake bills. It can be really difficult to tell the difference between a fake IRS letter and a real letter, so take extra care at the start of the IRS letter season each summer.
What are fake IRS letters?
If a taxpayer owes a tax or other issue to resolve, the IRS will usually contact you by letter. Knowing this, the scammers send fake IRS letters that look like the real thing, tricking you into paying what you owe.
A fake IRS letter can look pretty real if the scammers are clever enough, but there are a few important things to watch out for. If your letter is requesting payment, check that the requested payment method is listed. The IRS will only request payment in the form of a check issued to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
If your IRS letter or bill asks you to write a check to the IRS, it is counterfeit. If you are asked to send payment in the form of a prepaid credit card or gift card, this is clearly fake. If you’re asked to call a number other than the official IRS number, it’s fake.
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How Do Fake IRS Letter Scams Work?
This scam starts with a letter. Letters may appear in your mailbox or receive certified letter notices and must be picked up at the post office just like a legitimate IRS letter.
Fake IRS letters tend to look real and usually contain IRS sentences, fake case numbers, and other details designed to appear legitimate.
This letter may assert that you are paying taxes, made a mistake with your taxes, or other reasons why you owe the IRS. This may involve potential litigation and may include threats such as confiscation of assets or jail time, and will generally include both an amount owed by you and a demand for immediate payment.
In some cases, the letter may ask you to call a phone number to discuss your options. When you call this number, scammers can ask you to pay with a gift card or bank wire, or to provide sensitive personal and financial information, such as your social security number or credit card number.
In any case, fake IRS letter scams are about intimidating or threatening to get you to act before you think.
Does the IRS mail the letter?
The IRS sends the letter through the US Postal Service. In fact, this is actually the main way the IRS will contact you when paying off your taxes. However, there are some very important differences between genuine IRS letters and fake IRS letters.
When the IRS sends the initial letter, it does not ask for immediate payment. The first letter you get from the IRS usually tells you that the IRS thinks there is a problem with your taxes. The letter will provide details and give you an opportunity to appeal if you believe the IRS was wrong.
Some fake IRS letters claim to come from the tax enforcement agency. There is no such institution. If you get a letter from the Tax Enforcement Office, it’s fake.
If you have received a letter from the IRS requesting immediate payment and this is the first time you have heard of this matter, the letter is probably fake. The IRS only accepts checks issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, so you can also verify your payment method.
For other payment methods, see the IRS.gov/payments website. Legal payment options also include wire transfer, debit or credit card, wire transfer, check or money order, and cash through a retail partner, but never use a prepaid debit card, gift card, or check issued to anyone other than the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
How Scammers Use Fake IRS Letters to Find Victims
IRS scammers use public databases such as phone and address directories to find potential victims. This is usually not a targeted scam, so scammers simply get a large number of names and addresses and send as many fake IRS letters as possible.
How can I avoid becoming involved in this scam?
There is nothing you can do to avoid receiving fake IRS letters in the first place, but if you do get a letter from the IRS, you can avoid becoming a victim by taking some important precautions.
Summer is the season for IRS communications, when agencies send out the most bills and notices, but scammers know. It is a different time of the year, so time cannot be used to determine authenticity.
The first thing to look for is the official seal on the original IRS letter. Genuine IRS letters also contain a notice or letter number that can be tracked through the system and used to verify authenticity. If the letter does not have these marks, it may be counterfeit.
The biggest indicator of fake letters is asking for immediate payment. It’s also a good indicator if you’re requesting that the check be sent to someone other than the IRS or the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
It is important to remember that if the letter is genuine, it is essential to contact the IRS to avoid further enforcement action and penalties. To do this, call the official IRS number at 1-800-829-1040 and provide the notice, letter, or case number from the letter.
If the letter is genuine, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the amount you suspect owed, but the matter should be addressed. If the letter is fake, you can tell by the fake notice, letter or case number.
Contacting the IRS is scary, but there is nothing to lose and nothing to gain. If the IRS actually owes you or has an error to deal with, ignoring it will only make matters worse. If the letter is fake, don’t fall victim to scammers.
I am already a victim. What should I do?
Scammers are easy victims of this scam because they do their best to appear legitimate. If you trick them into sending money or disclosing sensitive personal information, you should report the scam to the appropriate authorities.
The IRS recommends reporting fraudulent attempts, such as forged IRS letters, to the Treasurer’s Office for Tax Administration. You can report it through the website or by calling 1-800-366-4484.
You can also send an email with the subject “IRS Impersonation Scam” to [email protected].
If you have provided information such as a credit card number or social security number to a scammer, you need to take steps to prevent the scammer from stealing your identity.
How can I avoid being a target for fake IRS letter scams?
This isn’t really a targeted scam, so it’s not something you can take precautions or avoid with caution. Fake IRS scammers throw wide nets to catch as many victims as possible.
You can only be critical of the IRS correspondence you actually receive because you cannot avoid being targeted by this scam. Do not blindly pay after receiving a letter, and do not call the number provided in the IRS letter unless it is also listed in the Official Contacts section of the IRS website.
More information
Fake IRS Letters: How to Identify Them and Protect Yourself
The IRS sends letters through the mail, but so do scammers
Some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scams are really easy to spot, because they rely on phone calls and weird payment methods like prepaid credit cards. That’s why some particularly devious scammers stick to the mail and send fake IRS letters in an attempt to fool taxpayers into paying fake bills. It can be really difficult to tell the difference between a fake IRS letter and a real one, so you have to be especially vigilant when IRS correspondence season rolls around each summer.
What Are Fake IRS Letters?
When a taxpayer owes back taxes, or there are any other issues that need to be sorted out, the IRS usually initiates contact by sending a letter. Knowing that, scammers will send fake IRS letters that look like the real thing in an attempt to fool you into paying money that you don’t owe.
Fake IRS letters can look quite real if the scammer is skilled enough, but there are a few key things that you can look for. If the letter demands payment, check to see the requested payment method. The IRS will only request payment in the form of a check made out to the US Treasury.
If an IRS letter or bill asks you to write a check to the IRS, then it’s fake. If it asks you to send payment in the form of a prepaid credit card or gift card, then it’s clearly fake. If it asks you to call any phone number other than an official IRS number, then it’s fake.
AndreyPopov / iStock / Getty How Does the Fake IRS Letter Scam Work?
This scam starts with a letter. The letter may show up in your mailbox, or you may receive a notice of a certified letter and have to go pick it up at the post office just like a legitimate IRS letter.
Fake IRS letters usually look like the real thing, and will typically include the IRS crest, a fake case number, and other details that are designed to make it look legitimate.
The letter may claim that you owe back taxes, that you made a mistake on your taxes, or provide another reason that you owe money to the IRS. It may reference a potential lawsuit, include threats like asset seizure or jail, and will usually include both a dollar amount that you owe and a demand to pay immediately.
In some cases, the letter may ask you to call a phone number to discuss your options. If you call this number, the scammer may demand payment through gift cards or a wire transfer, or ask you to provide sensitive personal and financial details like your social security number or credit card number.
In any event, the fake IRS letter scam relies on scaring or intimidating you into taking action before you’ve thought things through.
Does the IRS Send Letters Through the Mail?
The IRS does send letters through the US Postal Service. In fact, that’s the primary way that the IRS initiates contact if you actually do owe back taxes. However, there are some very important differences between real IRS letters and fake IRS letters.
When the IRS sends an initial letter, they never demand immediate payment. The first letter you receive from the IRS will typically inform you of the fact that the IRS believes there is an issue with your taxes. The letter will provide details, and you will be given the opportunity to appeal if you think the IRS is wrong.
Some fake IRS letters claim to come from the Bureau of Tax Enforcement. There is no such agency. If you receive a letter from the Bureau of Tax Enforcement, it’s fake.
If you receive a letter from the IRS that demands immediate payment, and it’s the first time you’ve heard about the matter, then the letter is probably fake. You can also check the payment method, as the IRS only accepts checks made out to the US Treasury.
For other payment methods, they will refer you to the IRS.gov/payments website. Legitimate payment options include bank account transfer, debit or credit card, bank wire transfer, check or money order, and even cash through retail partners, but never prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or checks made out to any entity other than the US Treasury.
How Do Fake IRS Letter Scammers Find Victims?
IRS letter scammers find potential victims through public databases like phone and address directories. This usually isn’t a targeted scam, so scammers simply obtain a large number of names and addresses and send out as many fake IRS letters as they can.
How Do I Avoid Getting Involved in This Scam?
There isn’t anything you can do to avoid receiving a fake IRS letter in the first place, but you can avoid becoming a victim by taking a few important precautions if you ever do receive a letter from the IRS.
IRS correspondence season, when the agency tends to send out the most bills and notices, is in the summer, but scammers know that. It’s possible to receive a fake IRS letter in the summer, and it’s also possible to receive a real IRS letter at any other time of year, so you can’t use the time of year to judge authenticity.
The first thing to look for is an official seal, which real IRS letters have. Real IRS letters also include notice or letter numbers, which you can use to track them through the system and verify authenticity. If a letter lacks these markers, then it might be fake.
The biggest indicator of a fake letter is a demand that you pay immediately. If it asks you to make a check out to IRS, or anything other than the US Treasury, that’s also a huge indicator.
The important thing to remember is that if the letter is real, you absolutely need to get into contact with the IRS to avoid additional enforcement actions and penalties. To do this, you should call the official IRS phone number: 1-800-829-1040 and provide them with the notice, letter, or case number from your letter.
If the letter is real, you’ll have an opportunity to question the amount that they say you owe, but you will have to deal with the issue. If the letter is fake, they’ll be able to tell from the fake notice, letter, or case number.
Contacting the IRS might be intimidating, but you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you really owe the IRS money, or there was some kind of error you need to deal with, ignoring it will only make the problem worse. If the letter is fake, then you’ll avoid falling victim to the scammer.
I’m Already a Victim. What Should I Do?
It’s easy to find yourself the victim of this scam, because the scammers do everything they can to seem legitimate. If you fell for their tricks and sent a payment, or even provided sensitive personal information, you need to report the scam to the appropriate authorities.
The IRS asks that you report scams like fake IRS letters to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. You can report using their website, or you can call 1-800-366-4484.
You can also send an email to [email protected] using the subject line “IRS Impersonation Scam.”
If you provided the scammer with information like credit card numbers or your social security number, you need to take steps to prevent the scammer from stealing your identity.
How Do I Avoid Being Targeted for the Fake IRS Letter Scam?
This isn’t a scam you can avoid by taking precautions or being careful, because it isn’t really a targeted scam. Fake IRS letter scammers just cast a wide net and hope to catch as many victims as they can, so you’re just as likely to be targeted as anyone else.
Since you can’t avoid becoming a target of this scam, all you can really do is look at any IRS letters you receive with a critical eye. Never blindly make a payment after receiving a single letter, and never call a number that’s provided by an IRS letter if that number isn’t also listed in the official contact section of the IRS website.
#Fake #IRS #Letters #Identify #Protect
Fake IRS Letters: How to Identify Them and Protect Yourself
The IRS sends letters through the mail, but so do scammers
Some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scams are really easy to spot, because they rely on phone calls and weird payment methods like prepaid credit cards. That’s why some particularly devious scammers stick to the mail and send fake IRS letters in an attempt to fool taxpayers into paying fake bills. It can be really difficult to tell the difference between a fake IRS letter and a real one, so you have to be especially vigilant when IRS correspondence season rolls around each summer.
What Are Fake IRS Letters?
When a taxpayer owes back taxes, or there are any other issues that need to be sorted out, the IRS usually initiates contact by sending a letter. Knowing that, scammers will send fake IRS letters that look like the real thing in an attempt to fool you into paying money that you don’t owe.
Fake IRS letters can look quite real if the scammer is skilled enough, but there are a few key things that you can look for. If the letter demands payment, check to see the requested payment method. The IRS will only request payment in the form of a check made out to the US Treasury.
If an IRS letter or bill asks you to write a check to the IRS, then it’s fake. If it asks you to send payment in the form of a prepaid credit card or gift card, then it’s clearly fake. If it asks you to call any phone number other than an official IRS number, then it’s fake.
AndreyPopov / iStock / Getty How Does the Fake IRS Letter Scam Work?
This scam starts with a letter. The letter may show up in your mailbox, or you may receive a notice of a certified letter and have to go pick it up at the post office just like a legitimate IRS letter.
Fake IRS letters usually look like the real thing, and will typically include the IRS crest, a fake case number, and other details that are designed to make it look legitimate.
The letter may claim that you owe back taxes, that you made a mistake on your taxes, or provide another reason that you owe money to the IRS. It may reference a potential lawsuit, include threats like asset seizure or jail, and will usually include both a dollar amount that you owe and a demand to pay immediately.
In some cases, the letter may ask you to call a phone number to discuss your options. If you call this number, the scammer may demand payment through gift cards or a wire transfer, or ask you to provide sensitive personal and financial details like your social security number or credit card number.
In any event, the fake IRS letter scam relies on scaring or intimidating you into taking action before you’ve thought things through.
Does the IRS Send Letters Through the Mail?
The IRS does send letters through the US Postal Service. In fact, that’s the primary way that the IRS initiates contact if you actually do owe back taxes. However, there are some very important differences between real IRS letters and fake IRS letters.
When the IRS sends an initial letter, they never demand immediate payment. The first letter you receive from the IRS will typically inform you of the fact that the IRS believes there is an issue with your taxes. The letter will provide details, and you will be given the opportunity to appeal if you think the IRS is wrong.
Some fake IRS letters claim to come from the Bureau of Tax Enforcement. There is no such agency. If you receive a letter from the Bureau of Tax Enforcement, it’s fake.
If you receive a letter from the IRS that demands immediate payment, and it’s the first time you’ve heard about the matter, then the letter is probably fake. You can also check the payment method, as the IRS only accepts checks made out to the US Treasury.
For other payment methods, they will refer you to the IRS.gov/payments website. Legitimate payment options include bank account transfer, debit or credit card, bank wire transfer, check or money order, and even cash through retail partners, but never prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or checks made out to any entity other than the US Treasury.
How Do Fake IRS Letter Scammers Find Victims?
IRS letter scammers find potential victims through public databases like phone and address directories. This usually isn’t a targeted scam, so scammers simply obtain a large number of names and addresses and send out as many fake IRS letters as they can.
How Do I Avoid Getting Involved in This Scam?
There isn’t anything you can do to avoid receiving a fake IRS letter in the first place, but you can avoid becoming a victim by taking a few important precautions if you ever do receive a letter from the IRS.
IRS correspondence season, when the agency tends to send out the most bills and notices, is in the summer, but scammers know that. It’s possible to receive a fake IRS letter in the summer, and it’s also possible to receive a real IRS letter at any other time of year, so you can’t use the time of year to judge authenticity.
The first thing to look for is an official seal, which real IRS letters have. Real IRS letters also include notice or letter numbers, which you can use to track them through the system and verify authenticity. If a letter lacks these markers, then it might be fake.
The biggest indicator of a fake letter is a demand that you pay immediately. If it asks you to make a check out to IRS, or anything other than the US Treasury, that’s also a huge indicator.
The important thing to remember is that if the letter is real, you absolutely need to get into contact with the IRS to avoid additional enforcement actions and penalties. To do this, you should call the official IRS phone number: 1-800-829-1040 and provide them with the notice, letter, or case number from your letter.
If the letter is real, you’ll have an opportunity to question the amount that they say you owe, but you will have to deal with the issue. If the letter is fake, they’ll be able to tell from the fake notice, letter, or case number.
Contacting the IRS might be intimidating, but you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you really owe the IRS money, or there was some kind of error you need to deal with, ignoring it will only make the problem worse. If the letter is fake, then you’ll avoid falling victim to the scammer.
I’m Already a Victim. What Should I Do?
It’s easy to find yourself the victim of this scam, because the scammers do everything they can to seem legitimate. If you fell for their tricks and sent a payment, or even provided sensitive personal information, you need to report the scam to the appropriate authorities.
The IRS asks that you report scams like fake IRS letters to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. You can report using their website, or you can call 1-800-366-4484.
You can also send an email to [email protected] using the subject line “IRS Impersonation Scam.”
If you provided the scammer with information like credit card numbers or your social security number, you need to take steps to prevent the scammer from stealing your identity.
How Do I Avoid Being Targeted for the Fake IRS Letter Scam?
This isn’t a scam you can avoid by taking precautions or being careful, because it isn’t really a targeted scam. Fake IRS letter scammers just cast a wide net and hope to catch as many victims as they can, so you’re just as likely to be targeted as anyone else.
Since you can’t avoid becoming a target of this scam, all you can really do is look at any IRS letters you receive with a critical eye. Never blindly make a payment after receiving a single letter, and never call a number that’s provided by an IRS letter if that number isn’t also listed in the official contact section of the IRS website.
#Fake #IRS #Letters #Identify #Protect
Synthetic: Vik News
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