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The IRS Tax Scam That Can Rob You Blind

Jan 23, 2015 2:07AM PST

The phone rings. You're at home, organizing your tax receipts - so you're stunned when the caller identifies himself as an agent at the IRS.

The agent says you owe money to the IRS and you must pay now, through a prepaid debit card or payment voucher. He has your name, your address, and other personal details. There's a warrant out for your arrest, he says, and if you don't pay within two hours, you could be arrested for tax fraud, be deported or even lose your driver's license.

If this sounds like your worst nightmare - guess again. It's been happening to thousands of Americans just like you.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) J. Russell George said this week that his office has received reports of nearly 290,000 of these phone calls since 2013. Some 3,000 people across the country have paid a collective $14 million in that time because they fell for what George called the largest scam of its kind.

Continued : http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/01/22/IRS-Tax-Scam-Can-Rob-You-Blind

Also see: Fake IRS phone calls tops list of tax scams

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