IRS scams have been around for a few years, but the scammers’ operation has changed recently.
“This scam is working, otherwise, they would have moved on to something else by now,” said Monica Horton, President of the Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas.
Newschannel 6 and the BBB both received calls this week from consumers saying they received voicemails from people claiming to be with the IRS. “This week alone the Better Business Bureau has logged and received over a hundred calls from consumers who have received a pre-recorded message saying they were with the IRS and that there was going to be a lawsuit filed against you,” Horton said.
Horton said scammers are trying to invoke fear into consumers, making them more vulnerable to these scams. A big red flag when it comes to this type of scam, is the voicemail itself. “One of the warning signs that consumers need to know and be aware of is the IRS is not going to call you,” Horton said.
If you come home to this message on your answering machine, Horton said not to respond. “The best advice we can give is not to respond and don’t call them back,” Horton said.
One thing you can do to help warn others is report these incidents to the BBB Scam Tracker. This tracker helps warn consumers of scams going on in their area.
– Newschannel 6
