In the latest attempt to scam taxpayers, con artists are claiming the ability to suspend or cancel a taxpayer’s Social Security Number (SSN). These scammers call their victims and mention overdue taxes, and then threaten to cancel a person’s SSN if this amount is not paid over the phone. These callers even attempt to frighten people by threatening to involve local authorities.
If you receive a call from an unknown number threatening to suspend or cancel your SSN for unpaid tax fees, you can simply hang-up. Do not give out sensitive information over the phone unless you know the caller is a genuine representative of the IRS.
The law requires the IRS to use private agencies to collect certain outstanding tax debts; however, there are only four agencies that will contact you on the government’s behalf. These are CBE Companies, ConServe, Performant and Pioneer. Before you are contacted by one of these private collection agencies, you will receive
two letters. One letter will be from the IRS stating your overdue tax account was assigned to a collection agency, and the other letter will be from the collection agency itself informing you how to resolve your overdue account. Both letters with contain a Taxpayer Identification Number used to confirm your identity. You may also use this number to confirm the legitimacy of anyone calling you regarding your account.
Private collection agencies will inform taxpayers about electronic payment options on IRS.gov/PayYourTaxBill, or advise checks be made out to the U.S. Treasury and sent directly to the IRS. Legitimate agencies will never ask that a check be made payable or sent to their organization instead.
To be clear, the IRS and its authorized private collection agencies will never:
• Make a call demanding immediate payment using a specific method (prepaid debit card, iTunes gift card, wire transfers, etc.).
• Ask you to make a payment to anyone other than the U.S. Treasury.
• Threaten to bring in local police or law-enforcement groups and arrest a taxpayer for not paying a tax bill.
• Demand taxes be paid without allowing the taxpayer an opportunity to appeal the amount owed.
The IRS website recommends anyone who receives one of these calls should report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Taxpayers are urged to report the caller ID and callback number by emailing it to phishing@irs.gov with a subject line that reads “IRS Phone Scam.” Finally, victims of this scam should also report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
If a taxpayer believes they owe tax, they can view their tax information online at any time. Visiting IRS.gov will allow taxpayers to see the actual amount they owe, as well as review payment options. Additionally, taxpayers can always call the IRS at their official number: 1-800-829-1040.
Keep an eye on the KerberRose page to stay updated on current IRS scams and receive other helpful Tax Tips. To get in touch with tax professionals you can trust, contact a KerberRose Tax Consultant today.
Sources:
IRS. (2019, October 24). Taxpayers should be on the lookout for new version of SSN scam. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/taxpayers-should-be-on-the-lookout-for-new-version-of-ssn-scam.
IRS. (2019, August 15). Private Debt Collection. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/private-debt-collection.
