Tax scammers are back at it, attempting to steal taxpayers’ identity by pretending to be the IRS hounding down the innocent. While these scam artists work year-round, taxpayers should be on the lookout for the newest of scams related to the tax world. One new scam involves false property liens – i.e., claiming to be the IRS, the scammers are going after taxpayers’ estates and other property. Multiple taxpayers have fallen victim to this major threat.

How is this tax scam different from other ongoing scams? This scheme involves a lengthy letter from a legitimate-sounding agency, such as the Bureau of Tax Enforcement,” warning of a levy or lien against assets due to back taxes owed. The letter is mailed to the taxpayer, the way the IRS routinely contacts taxpayers, and scares the taxpayer into believing the threat is real. The sender claims to work in correlation with the IRS to resolve taxpayers’ debts.

Be aware: there is no such department within the IRS, and no such agency to handle collection of taxes.

Should you be targeted by such a scam, the IRS asks that you contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report the fraudulent letter online by using the IRS Impersonation Scam Report.  Be sure to include key words such as “IRS Lien.” Following this first step, you should scan the document that you’ve received from the false agency, and send it to phishing@irs.gov. 

Following these first two steps, the taxpayer should directly report the claim to the Federal Trade Commission, by filing the FTC Complaint Assistant on FCT.gov. Finally, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, also known as IC3.

As confusing and stressful as these tax scams are, it is important to report each claim if you’ve been targeted. Should you find yourself overwhelmed by the process, contact the Law Offices of Christy Lee, P.C., and we will handle it for you!