Why is the IRS calling me?
Why is the IRS calling me?
if you got a call from the IRS that you owe back taxes, you are likely being scammed. As a general rule, the IRS will never call you about money owed. Almost never. If the IRS says you owe money, it will come in the form of a very official looking letter. So if you get a call, you are probably being scammed.
If you recall, a couple of years back, the federal government suffered some database hacks and MILLIONS of people had their very personal data and information stolen. And yes, this included social security numbers.
It is scary when someone has your phone number, address and even your social. But don’t worry, unfortunately, this is the new reality. At some point your personal information will be stolen. My Dad is retired and he got a letter from the Office of Personnel Management that his private information was stolen. Sure enough, about a year later, he was getting calls from someone claiming to represent the IRS telling him he owed money.
He knew sure as heck that he didn’t owe any money, so he called me. I told him it sounds like his date is flying around the dark web and someone is trying to scare him into paying them. Trust me, these folks won’t even give you an option to send in money. They only want your debit or credit card information or worse, they want your bank account ACH information. Do not give it !!!! If you do, you likely won’t have any money in there the next day.
So if you get a call from the IRS, hang up and call (800) 829-1040 and speak to one of the IRS case managers. They can let you know if you owe money or not.