IRS warns taxpayers of schemes and scams

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -The IRS says millions of dollars are lost due to tax scams each year. People fall for giving out their personal information and end up losing their hard-earned money.

The IRS wants taxpayers to know they do not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, texting, or social media.

You will most likely be contacted by the IRS by mail through USPS. However, there may be instances where they will call you by phone or visit your home or business. This happens if you have an overdue tax bill or an unfiled tax return. IRS impersonators will use threats or bully people to pay a fake tax bill. These scams can be reported.

Raphael Tulino, Spokesperson for the IRS shared,

“Simply ignore it. If it’s an email which has been more common in recent years and not so much now- it’s mostly text, but you can delete those, but certainly what you can do is send an email to phishing@irs.gov, otherwise, the simple avenue is to realize the IRS is not reaching out to you uninitiated or any other reputable agency or company.”

The IRS will never call to demand payment or ask for your debit or credit card over the phone. If you self-prepare your taxes, e-filing is recommended. Since the pandemic, it has shown that paper filing has taken longer. File when ready.

For more information and what scams to look out for, click here.

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