IRS scams

1. 1

   The arrest-threat call

   A caller with a spoofed Washington number says you owe back taxes and a warrant will be issued within the hour unless you pay. They supply a badge number and a case number, and often know your address. They insist you stay on the line.

2. 2

   Payment by untraceable means

   Payment is demanded in gift cards, a wire, a crypto kiosk, or a transfer to a "federal holding account". The IRS accepts none of those, and the demand is the single clearest tell in the entire script.

3. 3

   The agency handoff

   Some calls transfer you to a "Treasury investigator", a "DEA agent" or "local police" who confirm the story. Each voice adds credibility. Real agencies do not conference each other into a call with a taxpayer.

4. 4

   Refund and stimulus phishing

   Emails and texts about a refund, a stimulus payment or an "eligibility verification" link to a page collecting a Social Security number, date of birth and bank details. The IRS does not initiate contact by email or text at all.

5. 5

   A return filed in your name

   With stolen identity data, a return is filed early claiming a refund to an account the fraudster controls. You find out when your own e-filed return is rejected as a duplicate, often months later.

• A caller demands immediate payment and threatens arrest, deportation or licence revocation
• Payment is requested in gift cards, wire, crypto or a payment app
• You are told not to hang up, and not to call anyone else
• An email or text claims to be the IRS about a refund or a payment
• You are transferred between "agencies" during one call
• A badge number or case number is offered as proof
• Your e-filed return is rejected because one was already filed with your SSN
• You receive an IRS letter about wages from an employer you never worked for

• Hang up. The IRS does not call demanding payment or threatening arrest.
• If you are unsure whether you owe anything, call the IRS yourself on 1-800-829-1040, or check your account at irs.gov/account.
• Never pay a tax bill with gift cards, wire, crypto or a payment app — the IRS accepts none of them.
• Forward IRS-impersonation email to phishing@irs.gov and report calls to TIGTA at tigta.gov.
• Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN at irs.gov — it blocks a fraudulent return filed in your name.
• If a return was filed in your name, file Form 14039 and submit your real return on paper.
• Tell someone. The instruction to stay on the line and keep it to yourself is what makes these calls work.

Gift card losses go to the issuing brand's fraud line immediately with the numbers and receipts — a small share is recovered when the balance is unspent, measured in minutes to hours. Wires reported quickly can occasionally be recalled through the FBI Recovery Asset Team, which is triggered by a fast ic3.gov filing. If a fraudulent return was filed in your name, file IRS Form 14039, submit your real return on paper, and request an Identity Protection PIN for future years; the IRS has a dedicated unit for this and it does get resolved, slowly. Place free credit freezes at all three bureaus — tax identity theft and credit fraud use the same stolen data. Expect a follow-up "recovery" approach, which is the same operation returning.