AG: IRS scams grow more complex

Attorney general offers tips on how to protect yourself

Posted 7/21/16

The attorney general is warning people to watch out for ever-changing IRS scams. There have been new developments recently in the makeup of the scam, as those behind it have made it more complicated …

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AG: IRS scams grow more complex

Attorney general offers tips on how to protect yourself

Posted

The attorney general is warning people to watch out for ever-changing IRS scams.
There have been new developments recently in the makeup of the scam, as those behind it have made it more complicated and real than ever. 

“Just when we are on to the scam and alert consumers what to look for, these outfits change up the game and, as a result, people are more likely to fall for it,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin.

The original IRS scam is described below:
Scammers will...

  • Call a consumer’s house claiming to be from the IRS
  • Claim that the consumer owes back taxes and could be arrested
  • Ask for over-the-phone payment in the form of prepaid debit cards, money orders, or wire transfers

However, the “IRS scam” has morphed and developed to include these changes:
Scammers now will...

  • Leave messages with a callback number
  • Deny consumer requests to talk to his or her accountant
  • Read off fake social security numbers in an attempt to be corrected with the correct number
  • Direct consumers to the scammer’s “manager”

In response, Mr. Kilmartin issued this statement: “If someone calls claiming to be from the IRS, simply hang up. If you receive a voicemail from someone claiming to be from the IRS, do not call them back. These criminals prey on the honest nature of citizens. With these outfits operating outside the reach and jurisdiction of traditional law enforcement, the best chance to stop it is through consumer education. Consumers are on the front line of this scam, and they are our best weapon to end it by hanging up the telephone.”

He also listed steps for those who receive a call from the scammers.


Finally, Mr. Kilmartin also offers some additional tips from the IRS: 

  • The IRS generally first contacts people by mail — not by phone — about unpaid taxes.
  • The IRS will not ask for payment using a prepaid debit card, a money order, or wire transfer.
  • The IRS also will not ask for a credit card number over the phone.
  • The IRS will not ask for a social security number over the telephone. Nor will the IRS read a social security number over the telephone.
Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, Rhode Island Attorney General, IRS scams

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.