There are many scammers who will try and impersonate the IRS to steal your money and personal information, this list will show you how to detect and avoid these scams. These types of scams are typically referred to as “phishing.”

First off, the IRS in most cases will send letters in the mail before calling you, however in some cases they will directly call you or meet you in person. 

If an IRS representative tries to contact you in person they will always provide two pieces of official credentials: a pocket commission and a HSPD-12 card. You have a legal right to see those two credentials. The representative will also provide you with a phone number to verify their credentials with the IRS, if requested. 

The IRS will not demand for any immediate payments to any source other than the U.S treasury, representatives asking for an immediate payment elsewhere are likely scammers.

In the case of a criminal investigation, IRS officials may come unannounced to investigate, however they will not request money if they are actual IRS representatives.

Lastly, scammers will try many methods to take your money. Over time new methods of scamming will likely be created, so be very cautious when dealing with personal information and finances. Many scammers will threaten their victims to try and scare them into compliance.

If you recieve messages from the IRS feel free to contact Miami Tax Expert and we can help you verify the validity of these messages. 

You can report phishing attacks to the IRS by contacting: phishing@irs.gov