Police: Local Woman Burned by IRS Phone Scam

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A Fairfax City woman reported to the local police this week that she was victimized by a phone scam involving the Internal Revenue Service.

On Monday, the unidentified victim told the Fairfax City police that on July 30, she received a telephone call from a male suspect purporting to be from the IRS, and that she needed to make payment immediately or go to court. The woman lives in the 4100 block of Oxford Lane, according to a police report.

The victim withdrew an unspecified amount of money from her account and deposited it in the account number that the caller had provided, before realizing that it was a fraud, the police said.

More on Patch:

• Power Company Phone Scam Hits Herndon
• Va. Attorney General Warns of Phone Scam Involving Utility Bills

The IRS says it receives numerous complaints from taxpayers about phone scams like these.

“There are clear warning signs about these scams, which continue at high levels throughout the nation,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a statement. “Taxpayers should remember their first contact with the IRS will not be a call from out of the blue, but through official correspondence sent through the mail.

“A big red flag for these scams are angry, threatening calls from people who say they are from the IRS and urging immediate payment,” he said. “This is not how we operate. People should hang up immediately and contact TIGTA [Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration] or the IRS.”

Additionally, it is important for taxpayers to know that the IRS:

• Never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone.
• Never insists that taxpayers use a specific payment method to pay tax obligations
• Never requests immediate payment over the telephone and will not take enforcement action immediately following a phone conversation.
• Taxpayers usually receive prior notification of IRS enforcement action involving IRS tax liens or levies.

For more information, check out the IRS webpage here.