Don't Blame The IRS

  In a post last month, I include a recording of an obviously fake voice message warning about payment and fines due to the IRS.  If you've read my blog in the past, I talk a lot about scams and give tips to avoid them.  We've often discussed that legitimate organizations should not just contact you and ask for personal information.

   That just makes sense.

   But telling the difference between a legitimate call and a scam call has gotten harder.

   A reader let me know that the IRS is now using collection agencies to collect back taxes!  That just makes it even tougher to tell the difference between a legit collection call and a scam!

   Interestingly, according to this article, it was actually mandated by Congress and not requested by the IRS.  The article even says "Don't blame the IRS".  The IRS is actually concerned that this could lead to more scams and has put information about the "service" on their website.  Apparently this has also been tried in the past and it didn't even result in as many collections as IRS agents themselves had!  It still sounds like the IRS didn't have to implement this if they didn't want it.

   This is not a good development.  It just makes telling the difference between a scam and a legit call more difficult.  The IRS says that the collection agency is supposed to send a letter first.  Luckily we never get scams or junk via postal mail! :-)

   Bottom line... the tips we've discussed in the past about how to deal with requests for your personal information still stand.  Do not provide any details to anyone who calls you asking for personal information, unless you already have an established relationship with the caller (and even then you should use care!).

   Basically, if you do get such a call, for example from a credit card company, government agency, collection agency or anyone trying to collect money or information from you, what you should do is:

• Ask the person for their name, organization name, phone number and details of the request.
• Tell the person you will call them back and hang up.
• Do not call the number they gave you!
• Look up the organization using a legitimate online source.
• Call the main number for the organization and ask for the collections dept.
• See if they know who the caller is.
• If that connects you back to the caller, then the chances are pretty good they are legit.
• Otherwise, ask to be connected to the fraud dept and provide the info you have on the caller.

   Do you have any other tips to share?

   Have you ever been contacted by someone pretending to represent the IRS?