| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2016 | 17
With the holidays upon us, don't let yourself get caught up in
one of the many scams that are out there. One scam in particular
has been out there causing a lot of problems. You might have heard
about it or know someone who has received a call. The scam we are
talking about is the IRS scam that has affected many unsuspecting
individuals. The IRS reminds people that you can easily determine
if a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers
often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-
tale sign of a scam. The IRS will never:
1. Call to demand immediate payment, nor will we call about
taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity
to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
3. Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes,
such as a prepaid debit card.
4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
5. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement
groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS
and asking for money, here's what you should do:
• If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the
IRS at 1 (800) 829-1040. The IRS workers can help you with
a payment issue.
• If you know you don't owe taxes or have no reason to believe
that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector
General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1 (800) 366-4484
or at www.tigta.gov.
• You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant;
choose "Other" and then "Impostor Scams." If the complaint
involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words
"IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.
FROM THE RECREATION
DEPARTMENT:
DON'T GET
SCAMMED
