releases: http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=91F854E3-7924-4525-ADD9-8D025D4F3EAE
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=91F854E3-7924-4525-ADD9-8D025D4F3EAE | Weekly Column: Is it the IRS or a Scam? | 2015-11-13 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | SD | Kristi Noem | N000184 | noem.house.gov | legacy | By Rep. Kristi Noem In a single day earlier this month, more than 100 South Dakotans received phone calls from scammers pretending to represent the IRS. Residents were told they were about to face legal action, unless they paid their taxes immediately. These types of scam calls happen nearly every day across the country. In fact, approximately 736,000 scam contacts have been made in the last two years alone, according to the IRS. As a result, nearly 5,000 Americans have fallen victim to one of these scams, costing them more than $23 million collectively. With the right information, however, you can protect yourself. In many cases, the scammer will call, email or text you and claim the IRS will sue you, arrest you, or revoke your drivers license unless supposedly overdue taxes are paid immediately. This is exactly what recently occurred in South Dakota. The scammers goal is to con you into turning over your credit card number or bank information. This isnt how the IRS operates, however. The IRS will never call you before sending a letter. They will never call you to demand an immediate tax payment, nor will they demand that you pay a tax without an option to question how much you owe. The IRS will also never demand that you pay your taxes in a certain way, such as on a credit or debit card. They will also never ask for your credit or debit card number over the phone. If you are concerned that you are being contacted by a scammer, ask the caller for their name, badge number, and a call-back number. Then, hang up and call the IRS directly at 1-800-366-4484. Once you provide them with the information, they will be able to tell you if the call was legitimate. If the caller demands an over-the-phone payment, hang up immediately. Do not provide any information. Scammers have also been known to target people through email. Know that the IRS will not ask you for personal information via email. If you receive such an email even if its on official IRS letterhead do not reply, open any attachments, or click any links. You can forward the email to phishing@irs.gov and they will investigate it, but then delete the email from your inbox. Unfortunately, criminals are quick to adapt to new technologies, meaning they are now using text messages to dig for personal information as well. Once again, the IRS will not contact you in this way. As with email, do not reply, open any attachments, or click on any links. You can forward the text to 202-552-1226 to report it, but then delete the text from your phone. Initially, scammers primarily targeted older Americans and new immigrants, but the IRS now reports that the crooks try to swindle just about anyone. Please stay alert. These scams can happen to anyone any time of the year. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |