With tax season upon us, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is warning taxpayers to be on high alert for a frightening fraud scam.
People pretending to be International Revenue Service (IRS) agents are making ruthless, aggressive calls, telling people they owe back taxes and threatening them if they don’t pay up immediately.
“I am going to proceed you to the sheriff’s officer. And within the next hour they will be at your doorstep to handcuff you and put you behind bars,” a fraudulent caller told ABC News.
The U.S. Treasury Deputy Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA),Timothy Camus has received reports of nearly 900,000 fake calls since October 2013. Roughly 5,000 victims have paid over $26.5 million as a result of the scam.