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
234-231-0036105/23/2019 1:19 pm
289-200-5924205/24/2019 8:16 am
323-744-3261105/17/2019 7:05 am
204-378-0026105/09/2019 3:52 pm
604-727-1389105/07/2019 4:02 pm
703-586-9689105/07/2019 1:37 am
702-517-5555205/03/2019 4:50 pm
678-647-8188105/03/2019 3:11 pm
888-815-0035105/01/2019 2:50 pm
226-979-8272104/26/2019 1:24 pm
848-200-1641204/29/2019 2:42 pm
303-974-9331104/24/2019 3:22 pm
800-604-1783104/23/2019 6:04 pm
707-306-0046104/22/2019 5:20 pm
646-494-5977104/20/2019 12:39 pm
562-275-0038104/16/2019 4:32 pm
818-798-1736104/09/2019 3:25 pm
916-637-6561104/09/2019 11:16 am
888-810-0037104/08/2019 6:12 pm
818-794-6170104/08/2019 3:37 pm
443-201-7674204/08/2019 5:37 pm
917-504-8631104/05/2019 11:19 am
516-299-8226104/05/2019 10:27 am
425-243-5162103/26/2019 5:18 pm
319-929-4402103/26/2019 8:48 am
302-314-8187203/27/2019 6:32 pm
631-989-8154103/23/2019 12:39 pm
786-322-3627203/22/2019 1:41 pm
469-444-0035103/19/2019 6:37 pm
936-577-5376103/19/2019 1:12 pm

What states have the most IRS scam calls?

Country State # of Reports Most Recent Report
USANew York38204/20/2019
USACalifornia36705/17/2019
USATexas13703/19/2019
CanadaOntario 11605/24/2019
USAWashington11503/26/2019
USAFlorida7603/22/2019
USANew Jersey6304/29/2019
USAWashington DC5309/04/2018
USAPennsylvania5102/16/2019
USAColorado4904/24/2019
USAGeorgia4805/03/2019
USAIllinois4401/22/2019
USANorth Carolina4302/27/2019
USAOhio4105/23/2019
USAVermont3312/06/2018
USAVirginia3205/07/2019
USAMissouri3108/14/2018
USAArizona3008/23/2018
USAMassachusetts3011/22/2018
USAKentucky2708/18/2018
USAMaryland2704/08/2019
USANew Mexico2609/23/2016
USALouisiana2604/02/2018
USAMinnesota2409/27/2018
USATennessee2207/12/2018
USAOregon2011/20/2018
USAMichigan2003/08/2019
USANorth Dakota1909/19/2016
USAAlabama1906/30/2017
USAWisconsin1709/06/2017
CanadaBritish Columbia 1605/07/2019
USAOklahoma1505/26/2017
USAIowa1503/26/2019
USAIndiana1412/14/2018
USAMaine1309/23/2016
USASouth Carolina1305/02/2017
USAKansas1010/05/2018
USANevada905/03/2019
CanadaQuebec 908/24/2018
USADelaware703/27/2019
USAUtah701/07/2019
USANew Hampshire707/29/2016
705/01/2019
USAMississippi601/23/2018
USAWest Virginia609/17/2018
USAArkansas611/20/2018
CanadaManitoba 405/09/2019
CanadaNewfoundland410/16/2017
USAConnecticut309/26/2018
USAMontana305/15/2018
CanadaAlberta 306/18/2018
USANebraska307/06/2018
USASouth Dakota208/05/2018
USAHawaii208/24/2016
CanadaSaskatchewan 206/14/2017
USAAlaska106/09/2016
USARhode Island109/21/2018

Recent IRS Scam Comments

289-200-5924

May 24, 2019 8:16 am

Same as the aforementioned.

Caller or Company: CRA Scammer

Caller Type: IRS Scam

234-231-0036

May 23, 2019 1:19 pm

Scammer leaves message they will take legal action says they are IRS. SCAM

Caller or Company: IRS IMPERSONATOR

Caller Type: IRS Scam

289-200-5924

May 23, 2019 12:45 pm

Automated message, calling me at work! threatening legal action regarding CRA account. Stated this was final warning (but no previous contact).
Assuming this is a scam.

Caller or Company: CRA?

Caller Type: IRS Scam

323-744-3261

May 17, 2019 7:05 am

Recorded call claimed that the IRS has filed a lawsuit against me for tax deficiency. They said this was the second notice and final notice before legal action would be taken. Gave this number 323-744-3261 as the call-back number to speak with an advisor.

Caller or Company: Ho company name stated

Caller Type: IRS Scam

204-378-0026

May 9, 2019 3:52 pm

SSI scam

Caller or Company: Scam

Caller Type: IRS Scam

604-727-1389

May 7, 2019 4:02 pm

Was asking for my sin and CC information as well as my mothers Maiden name. very threatening

Caller or Company: Devin Drewitz

Caller Type: IRS Scam

703-586-9689

May 7, 2019 1:37 am

Call from spammer claiming to be the IRS suing me

Caller Type: IRS Scam

702-517-5555

May 3, 2019 4:50 pm

Got a call from the social security office saying there was some some suspicious activity and my social has been locked

Caller or Company: Russia

Caller Type: IRS Scam

702-517-5555

May 3, 2019 4:41 pm

IRS scam suspending my Social security number

Caller Type: IRS Scam

678-647-8188

May 3, 2019 3:11 pm

They asked to "help me with my income tax evasion lawsuit" I shouldn't contact anyone, but call them directly. Definitely spam!

Caller Type: IRS Scam

888-815-0035

May 1, 2019 2:50 pm

SPAM call "from the Department of the Social Security. We have suspended your social security number due to suspicious activity. If you want to know more about your social security number press one."

Caller or Company: Department of the Social Security

Caller Type: IRS Scam

848-200-1641

April 29, 2019 2:42 pm

the first part of the voice mail message left was cut off but they ( a computerized voice) basically said my tax id number was going to be terminated and my wages and bank accounts were going to be seized as I have failed to take action on money owed per some tax code. This has scam written all over it as I am certain that the IRS would have notified me by mail rather than by phone IF I actually did owe them money.

Caller or Company: Computerized Voice

Caller Type: IRS Scam

226-979-8272

April 26, 2019 1:24 pm

F#n SCAMMERS !

Caller or Company: CRA

Caller Type: IRS Scam

848-200-1641

April 25, 2019 3:22 pm

Said they were IRS and going to take legal action. Scam stay away.

Caller or Company: IRS

Caller Type: IRS Scam

303-974-9331

April 24, 2019 3:22 pm

Got a voicemail of robot voice Saying it was Social Security Administration. And to call the department?

Caller or Company: Social Security Administration

Caller Type: IRS Scam

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