According to an article in the Press-Enterprise, the IRS is warning of a phone scam in which victims, especially seniors and immigrants, are told they owe delinquent taxes and conned into paying criminals. The scammers making the phone calls have been threatening people with arrest, deportation or a suspended driver’s licenses if payments aren’t made over the phone,

“The truth is the IRS usually first contacts people by mail — not by phone — about unpaid taxes,” according to an IRS statement. “And the IRS won’t ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer.”

The IRS issued the following advice to avoid becoming a victim of fraud:

• If someone calls saying they are from the IRS, ask for their phone number and then hang up.
• Don’t open email attachments from unknown addresses claiming to be the IRS
• Never give a caller any personal or financial information
• Contact the IRS directly for questions about an account
• The IRS, police and immigration officials will never contact someone through email, text messages or social media
• The IRS will never ask for a bank PIN, password or other information to access bank and credit accounts

NATIONAL, The Press-Enterprise, January 8, 2014