Beware Fake IRS Agents Calling Taxpayers

Beware: Fake IRS Agents Calling Taxpayers: "If you get a call from someone saying they're an IRS Agent, it's most likely a new scam that's making the rounds. The calls come from an 1-800 number and the name on the caller ID reads, IRS. June Burdeshaw with Danny McCallister Accounting Services said every year there's a different scam and the criminals are savvy. Burdeshaw said the IRS contacts tax payers through the United States Postal Service. She said it's very rare for an agent to call you. "If you choose to answer the call make sure you get the badge number because an IRS agent is supposed to give you that information," said Burdeshaw. Burdeshaw said fake emails also circulate during tax season. If one shows up in your inbox, just delete it."

Jay Starkman: E-Filing and the Explosion in Tax-Return Fraud - WSJ.com: "If you become a tax-identity theft victim, immediately seek a referral to the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit or the Taxpayer Advocate Service using Form 911. Keep in mind that it can take over a year to resolve. The IRS has a backlog of 650,000 cases. The national taxpayer advocate has recommended that taxpayers be allowed to tell the IRS to accept their return only when filed on paper, thus preventing e-file tax-identity theft. So far the IRS has failed to allow this. Less effective methods are to request an "electronic filing PIN," available at www.irs.gov, and file Form 14039, "Identity Theft Affidavit," so that the IRS might apply additional return-screening procedures. Sadly, conventional credit-monitoring services are useless against income-tax identity theft. In sum, e-filing helps the IRS with audit selection, costs the Treasury billions through fraud, and transfers many costs of tax administration to you."

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