A caller says he’s from the IRS and your caller ID shows the call is coming from the IRS. And, the caller knows the last four digits of your Social Security Number, so it seems like he really is calling from the IRS.   But, it’s not.

The caller says you owe taxes and must pay immediately via a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. Re

fuse and you’re threatened with arrest, deportation or the suspension of your business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. (“bullying”)

If you give the caller your credit card information, he’ll transfer your money into his pocket.

“The IRS does not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer,” says IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel. “If someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don’t pay immediately, that is a sign that it really isn’t the IRS calling.” Almost every contact with the IRS starts with a letter.

The IRS does NOT initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information.  If you get an email claiming to be from IRS, don’t open any attachments and don’t click on any of the links.  Instead, forward the email to phishing@irs.gov.

The IRS won’t text you or contact you via social media.   No real IRS official would ever ask for your PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts.