I remember like it was yesterday. I was told I had a call I needed to take. When I picked up the woman stated her name and said she was with the IRS and that they had issued a warrant for my arrest because I had not paid my taxes! She indicated that there was someone on their way my to my location to arrest me.
I became suspicious because I had paid my taxes and that I had not received a single written notice from the IRS that I owed them money. I knew that the IRS has very detailed steps they must follow in trying to collect unpaid taxes. So I asked the woman to email or fax me the documents that proved that I owed money to the IRS. She said she wouldn’t do that and that an agent was on their way to arrest me. I insisted that I receive documentation from the IRS before I would talk to her any further. I hung up the phone.
No IRS agent showed up to arrest me and no documentation arrived to prove that I owed the IRS money.
I recently got a chance to talk with an IRS agent in their Inspector General Office who told me that the I received was part of a scam. The people on the phone are counting on us to be scared to death. Then they tell you that the arrest warrant can be cancelled if you pay the taxes by phone on a credit card.
Fortunately, I did not fall for this scam. Now that you know about it I am hoping that you do not get victimized by these people. Please share this story with your family and friends.
If you get one of these calls gather as much information as you can and then contact the IRS at a Hot Line they have set up for these scams. The IRS wants to prosecute the people that are doing this. Please call 1-800-366-4484 or go a special website www.treasury.gov/tigta to file a report.
