(TheDailyCurrents.com) – Many Americans feel undereducated and anxious about the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  This lack of certainty about how the IRS works can lead to falling prey to a scam that claims to originate from this government agency. What are the most common IRS scams? How can you identify a scam? What should you do if you feel you have been contacted by a scammer claiming to represent the IRS? This article will discuss concise answers to each of these questions. Let’s begin by looking at the common types of IRS scams.

IRS Imposter Scams

IRS imposter scams take advantage of Americans by playing on their fears of the consequences of owing the US government money. A scammer may send you a text message, call you, or contact you by mail, or email.

Tax Collection

A tax collection scam will demand that you pay a certain amount of tax. Often accompanied by a threat of police action, you may be instructed to complete a wire transfer of the requested amount. You may also be told to purchase a prepaid debit card and send it to the scammer.

Verification

A verification scam may claim to be from the IRS and request that you confirm personal information. Using an email or a text message, the scam will likely include a link to a website or an official-looking form.

The IRS will never request any information or payment from you using a text message, phone call, or email, so if you receive any communication claiming to be from the IRS by one of these means, you can safely assume it is a scam. The IRS does not send out text messages with links to other websites, so you can also be sure that any communication that includes a questionable link is not from the IRS.

Tax Transcript Email Scams

Scammers also send out emails claiming to offer you a summary of your tax return, called a tax transcript. If you click on the link that claims to direct you to your “Tax Account Transcript”, your computer can be infected with malware that can steal your information.

Tax ID Theft

Tax ID Theft occurs when a scammer uses your information to file taxes to gain a tax refund. This type of scam is particularly frustrating because you may not find out about it until you attempt to file your taxes and learn that the IRS has already received a tax return from your Social Security number.

Use an Identification Protection Pin

If the IRS discovers that your Social Security number has been used to file taxes by someone other than you in the past, they will automatically assign you a six-digit Identification Protection Pin (IP Pin). If you want an added layer of security in filing your taxes every year, you can request that the IRS issue you an IP Pin by following the directions on the IRS website.

What to Do If You Have Been Contacted by an IRS Scam

If you have been contacted by an IRS imposter scam, contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). You can report the scammer online, or call the TIGTA at 1-800-366-4484.

If you have been emailed any type of IRS scam, forward the message to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

IRS scams are prevalent throughout the year. Anytime you receive a communication from anyone claiming to be the IRS, confirm with the agency directly. Remember that any communication initiated through a text message, phone call, or email is definitely a scam. Educate yourself and your loved ones about the importance of avoiding IRS scams. Contact the TIGTA if you have received any suspicious communications that appear to be a scam.

Stay safe in navigating the important work of filing your taxes, and feel confident that you can identify and avoid IRS scams.

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