Tax scammers have been working overtime, according to the IRS. They just issued a warning about a surge in phone scams from IRS impersonators, including one where scammers demand payments for taxes owed on gift cards.


The IRS will typically never ask for payment over the phone to begin with (unless they’ve already sent you a bill) and they’ll certainly never threaten to have you arrested. These are a few red flags you should keep in mind year-round, but in a statement, the IRS details some specific scams that have been making the rounds recently.


They point out that they’ve seen an increase in robocalls that urge people to call back, then a live person demands payment. The statement reads:



In the latest trend, IRS impersonators are demanding payments on iTunes and other gift cards. The IRS reminds taxpayers that any request to settle a tax bill by putting money on any form of gift card is a clear indication of a scam. Some examples of the varied tactics seen this year are: Demanding payment for a “Federal Student Tax.” See IR-2016-81



Demanding immediate tax payment for taxes owed on an iTunes or other type of gift card



Soliciting W-2 information from payroll and human resources professionals. See IR-2016-34



“Verifying” tax return information over the phone. See IR-2016-40



Pretending to be from the tax preparation industry. See IR-2016-28



For more detail, check out the full statement from the IRS at the link below.

IRS Warns Taxpayers of Summer Surge in Automated Phone Scam Calls; Requests for Fake Tax Payments Using iTunes Gift Cards | IRS.gov