The IRS Phone Call Scam Explained

What is the IRS phone call scam?

Someone calls you claiming they work for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and you owe the back taxes or they are asking for your Social Security Number (SSN). This is a scam to try and extort money from you or a phishing attempt to try and steal your identity. The IRS will NEVER call you out of the blue stating you owe back taxes or ask for your personal information. The IRS will only send notices of back owed taxes through the mail and it will come on official letterhead.

The caller will say they are someone with an official title like "Officer" and claim you are going to be sued, you have a warrant for your arrest, your property will be seized, freeze your bank accounts, your wages will be garnished or a lien/judgement will be placed against you. They will tell you any number of scary things trying to get you to do what they say. The caller could have a thick sounding accent or use broken english as most of these scammers are not even located in the United States. They will tell you they can make it all go away for a "one-time" payment of a specific amount of money payable to an account they specify. Often they will tell you to pay them in gift cards or pre-paid credit cards, most of which are untraceable.

Beware because, in addition to trying to extort money from you, they are often also after your Social Security Number or personal information for which they will use to steal your identity. Whatever you do, do not pay them or give them any of your information!

What should I do when I get a call?

Stay calm and resist the pressure to act quickly. Get their information and then tell the caller you will call them back, but DO NOT call the number they called you from. They will probably yell and threaten you for even asking for their information. Ignore them and insist they give you their information. If they don't give you their info, you can assume it is a scam and hang up on them. If they did give you their information, call the official IRS number at 1-800-366-4484 to validate if the caller was really from the IRS. In nearly all cases, you're going to find that it wasn't a real call from the IRS.

If you feel threatened, call your local police department and file a police report.

What can you to help stop this?

  1. Report the phone number to the IRS. They have a special website setup just for this. You can find it here: TIGTA
  2. Search for the phone number on CallReceived.com and report the number here as well, as we're keeping track of the phone numbers these scammers are using.

IRS Phone Numbers

Per the IRS website:

Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, unless otherwise noted. Residents of Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time. Puerto Rico phone lines are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.

Individuals:
1-800-829-1040

Businesses:
1-800-829-4933

See their contact page for more detailed information: IRS Telephone Contact
You can also contact your local IRS office by using this form: Find Your Local IRS Office

How many reports do you have about the IRS scam in the last 12 months?

We created this chart so you can see the volume:

What phone numbers have been reported recently?

Phone Number # of Reports Most Recent Report
705-320-0001101/24/2020 7:24 am
613-694-0001101/20/2020 1:18 pm
866-982-2875101/07/2020 1:49 pm
416-632-2333112/20/2019 10:55 am
832-429-2598112/18/2019 12:04 pm
818-794-6825112/13/2019 9:20 am
513-230-1713112/11/2019 9:02 am
720-457-5160112/09/2019 3:35 pm
814-218-3293212/04/2019 10:50 am
425-333-3248112/04/2019 8:32 am
780-394-6944111/27/2019 7:38 am
780-917-9053111/26/2019 6:30 pm
361-203-0063111/19/2019 10:53 am
647-714-4073111/14/2019 11:56 am
647-714-0084111/14/2019 11:55 am
310-355-8795111/07/2019 7:17 am
660-460-3802111/05/2019 1:22 pm
647-938-1160111/04/2019 12:33 pm
647-886-0060111/01/2019 10:22 am
204-983-2118110/30/2019 3:38 pm
613-999-2781110/29/2019 8:47 am
810-224-1225110/24/2019 9:55 am
416-722-7071110/18/2019 8:58 pm
226-260-2222110/16/2019 3:33 pm
604-655-7402110/15/2019 6:51 pm
416-856-6773110/14/2019 11:51 am
410-777-0001110/03/2019 1:56 pm
925-315-4966109/24/2019 11:51 am
888-629-4563109/23/2019 3:54 pm
754-281-9640109/13/2019 4:43 pm

What states have the most IRS scam calls?

Country State # of Reports Most Recent Report
USANew York38407/01/2019
USACalifornia37212/13/2019
USATexas14212/18/2019
CanadaOntario 13101/24/2020
USAWashington11712/04/2019
USAFlorida7709/13/2019
USANew Jersey6304/29/2019
USAPennsylvania5512/04/2019
USAWashington DC5309/04/2018
USAColorado5012/09/2019
USAGeorgia4805/03/2019
USANorth Carolina4506/25/2019
USAIllinois4401/22/2019
USAOhio4312/11/2019
USAVermont3312/06/2018
USAVirginia3205/07/2019
USAMissouri3211/05/2019
USAArizona3008/23/2018
USAMassachusetts3011/22/2018
USAMaryland2810/03/2019
USAKentucky2708/18/2018
USALouisiana2604/02/2018
USANew Mexico2609/23/2016
USAMinnesota2409/27/2018
USAMichigan2310/24/2019
USATennessee2207/12/2018
USAOregon2011/20/2018
USANorth Dakota1909/19/2016
USAAlabama1906/30/2017
USAWisconsin1709/06/2017
CanadaBritish Columbia 1710/15/2019
USAIowa1503/26/2019
USAOklahoma1505/26/2017
USAIndiana1412/14/2018
USASouth Carolina1305/02/2017
CanadaQuebec 1308/21/2019
USAMaine1309/23/2016
1001/07/2020
USAKansas1010/05/2018
USANevada905/03/2019
USADelaware703/27/2019
USAUtah701/07/2019
USANew Hampshire707/29/2016
USAArkansas611/20/2018
USAMississippi601/23/2018
USAWest Virginia609/17/2018
CanadaAlberta 511/27/2019
CanadaNewfoundland508/22/2019
CanadaManitoba 510/30/2019
USAConnecticut508/08/2019
USANebraska307/06/2018
USAMontana305/15/2018
USASouth Dakota208/05/2018
USAHawaii208/24/2016
CanadaSaskatchewan 206/14/2017
USARhode Island109/21/2018
USAAlaska106/09/2016

Recent IRS Scam Comments

705-320-0001

January 24, 2020 7:24 am

Revenue Canada scam (robocall)

Caller or Company: Frauster robocall pretending to be Revenue Canada

Caller Type: IRS Scam

613-694-0001

January 20, 2020 1:18 pm

Scam! Block their number if they call you making threats. They are criminals.

Caller or Company: Scammer posing as government.

Caller Type: IRS Scam

866-982-2875

January 7, 2020 1:49 pm

SCAM

Caller Type: IRS Scam

416-632-2333

December 20, 2019 10:55 am

It was a call from the IRS wanting to throw me in jail and they wanted my Social Insurance Number!! I laughed at them. They hung up!

Caller or Company: SCAMMERS!

Caller Type: IRS Scam

832-429-2598

December 18, 2019 12:04 pm

called 3 times today.

Caller Type: IRS Scam

818-794-6825

December 13, 2019 9:20 am

Recorded message of a computer saying I have a arrest warrant out for me due to fraudulent activity with my SSN ???? I pressed 1 to speak to someone she said “what do you want” I said Uour system said I have a warrant and asked who I was speaking to. She hung up. I was expecting her to ask for money but we didn’t get that far. Lol

Caller Type: IRS Scam

513-230-1713

December 11, 2019 9:02 am

Robocall with message about criminal activity with your social security number
Got similar recording yesterday on 512-260-2388

Caller Type: IRS Scam

720-457-5160

December 9, 2019 3:35 pm

Susan Halverson called business line asking to talk to owner or person who handles the 940/941 tax filings. Says this is regarding a Notice filed with the County Court. After looking up the phone number to see it's a robocaller I called Susan back to let her know I'm reporting them to the police.

Caller or Company: Phoenix Group Susan Halverson

Caller Type: IRS Scam

814-218-3293

December 4, 2019 10:50 am

I received a similar Robocal on 12-3-19 from 814-218-3422 Federal Criminal Investigation Department to call them back at 504-502-3135. I was able to trace the 814-218-3422 to Matthew Russell living at 3808 Myrtle Street, Erie PA 16508.

Caller or Company: Federal Crime and Investigation Department at Social Security Administration

Caller Type: IRS Scam

814-218-3293

December 4, 2019 10:35 am

On 12-4-19 I received a Robocall voicemail. "'We have received a legal complaint under your Social Security number and drivers license number. We have received a legal complaint to block your Social Security number immediately. So before we go ahead and legally block your Social Security number so kindly press 1 to connect to our officer or call us back at 770-809-1174. I repeat 770-809-1174. Sorry you didn't press 1 yet. Kindly press 1 to connect to our officer. Thank you and have a blessed day. "

I know that the IRS would never call they would send a letter in the mail.

Caller Type: IRS Scam

425-333-3248

December 4, 2019 8:32 am

Social Security Scam

Caller Type: IRS Scam

780-394-6944

November 27, 2019 7:38 am

trying to claim they are CRA, saying I owe money and to pay with either amazon gift cards or bitcoin.

Caller or Company: SCAM

Caller Type: IRS Scam

780-917-9053

November 26, 2019 6:30 pm

Woman left message to call. Said her name was Tania or Tamra, had some trouble understanding due to her very strong Asian accent. Claimed to be Service Canada. Took this number into my local Service Canada office and they do not recognize it as being legitimate.

Caller or Company: Claimed to be Service Canada

Caller Type: IRS Scam

361-203-0063

November 19, 2019 10:53 am

IRS SCAM - SAID MY S.S.N. WAS SHUT DOWN FOR BEING USED FRAUDULENTLY AND I NEEDED TO CALL 361-203-0063 TO SPEAK WITH AN AGENT STANDING BY. I DID NOT CALL THE NUMBER BACK. VOICE WAS ROBOTIC.

Caller or Company: NUMBER ONLY

Caller Type: IRS Scam

647-714-4073

November 14, 2019 11:56 am

A scam recording about case against social insurance number.

Caller Type: IRS Scam

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