Have you ever received a call and saw FTC, IRS, or 202 for Washington DC on your phone display? You may think it’s legit but it’s actually someone who is a government imposter. Their MO is to talk you into sending them money before you figure out they’re fake. Government imposters are scam artists.
The idea is to scare you into paying them by saying you owe taxes or unpaid debt. They want you to panic and they do this by convincing you that you might be sent to jail or taken to court. They may want you to transfer money using a prepaid credit card and will ask you for the number. The truth is; no governmental agency would ever do this.
Rules to Live By to Avoid Scam Artists Posing as Government Representatives
No one from the Federal Government will ever ask people to send money for prizes or unpaid loans. The IRS always corresponds by postal mail and NEVER by the phone.
Employees or representatives of Federal Agencies will never ask you to wire money or use a pre-paid debit card to pay what you owe. When you transfer money or pay using a pre-paid card there is no way to recover it.
Don’t depend on caller ID. Scammers hack the phone system to display whatever information they want. They have gathered personal information on you from somewhere to appear to be official. A good rule of thumb is to look up the official number of the agency to see if it’s the same as you see on your phone.
To protect yourself against government imposters, file a complaint with the FTC ftc.gov/complaint and look for “Other,” and then “Imposter Scams.” If the IRS is involved, add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
You can also report imposter scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) by visiting their website or calling them at 800-829-1040. Check with the with IRS at 800-829-1040 or go to irs.gov.
Of course, if you have any questions or concerns about calls you are receiving, contact us.