This tax season, law enforcement agencies are seeing enhanced efforts by criminals to scam taxpayers out of their hard-earned money by impersonating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Treasury Department employees during unsolicited telephone calls and robo-calls. These scammers are demanding cash payments for unpaid taxes via prepaid debit cards, money orders, or wire transfers from their banks.

According to the IRS, the agency generally first contacts taxpayers by mail—not by phone—concerning owed taxes, and it will never ask for payments using a prepaid debit card, money order, or wire transfer.

If you think you have been the victim of an IRS impersonation scam, please file a report online with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration or call the agency at 1-800-366-4484.

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