Tax day has come and gone, but Utah residents will need to remain vigilant of scam artists who continue to pose as Internal Revenue Services employees.
Between October 2013 and January 2016, 57 Utahns lost a total of $431,782 to phony IRS calls, where scammers threaten lawsuits, arrest or fines due to fake claims of owed back taxes, according to the Treasury Inspector General of the Tax Administration, or TIGTA.
Since the beginning of the year, the calls from IRS impostors have continued, and are likely to continue well beyond the end of tax season, according to the Utah Department of Commerce.
“It is disturbing that four Utah victims have lost $18,379 to these scams since New Year’s Day,” said Francine Giana, executive director of the state commerce department, in a news release. “Remember the Internal Revenue Service will never call and threaten you over the phone. Hang up and contact the IRS yourself if you have valid concerns.”
Utah isn’t the lone target in these targeted phone scams, with California, New York and Texas topping TIGTA’s list of states suffering financial losses tied to IRS calls. Behind front-runner California, with 1,028 victims giving $6.4 million to fraudsters since October 2013, Utah ranked 20th out of the 50 states.
“IRS scam calls are no longer limited to tax season,” said Daniel O’Bannon, director of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, in a news release. “Fraudsters have found a hot button to bilk money from law-abiding citizens year-round, so please remain vigilant when the phone rings with an empty threat.”
The Utah Division of Consumer Protection reminds residents that the IRS will never call regarding owed taxes without first mailing an official notice. The agency will also never demand a certain amount be paid in taxes, ask for debit or credit card information over the phone, or threaten to involve local law enforcement to arrest you for not paying.
Should someone receive a phony IRS phone call, they should contact different government agencies depending on their current tax status. If you believe you may owe taxes, you should contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040.
Anyone who knows they don’t owe taxes but receives a potentially fraudulent tax call should contact TIGTA at 1-800-366-4484 to report the incident. They can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov and specifically include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.