PROVIDENCE – R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin is warning Rhode Islanders to be on the lookout for the latest “IRS phone scam” to hit the area. According to some estimates, consumers across the country have reported more than $8 million in losses from this scam in the past year.
In this most recent wave of the IRS scam, individuals are contacting individuals via telephone, telling them they owe back taxes and demanding that the victim pay the money immediately with a preloaded debit card or wire transfer. The caller often threatens the victim with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.
According to a news release, thieves who run this scam often:
If you get a call from someone who claims to be with the IRS asking you to pay back taxes, Kilmartin recommends hanging up and reporting the incident to the treasury inspector general for tax administration at 800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
