RICHMOND, Va. -- If you get a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, be on guard. The Better Business Bureau has warned that scammers may be trying to get your personal information and your money. BBB experts said anything from the IRS will come in the mail, not in the form of a threatening phone call.
During tax season, in Richmond and all across the nation, scammers pretend to work for the IRS. The criminals call people and tell them their taxes are being audited and they owe thousands of dollars to the IRS. The scammers then threaten to have people arrested if they do not wire the money within a certain time frame. Consumer experts said crooks go so far as to follow up with phone calls, and pretend to be from a local police department.
The BBB said these scammers pay very close attention to detail. They use fake names and made-up IRS ID employee numbers, they hack the system and make the IRS phone number appear on you caller ID.
Alicia Jones said she almost fell victim to this scam. People pretending to work for the IRS called her home, and claimed her 11-year-old son owed the IRS $1,500. She said that is when she knew it was not real.
"If they knew anything about the household they would know that tax returns had not been filed because of their age and that my son was a minor," she said.
Police remind consumers, all suspicious calls pertaining to the IRS should be reported to the Treasury Inspector General at 1-800-366 - 4484.
