Every tax filing season tax scams and frauds increase exponentially. I suspect that scammers pick up on overall IRS anxiety and use that to get victims to send them money more easily. This year the Treasury Inspector General has said that so far 2014 has seen the highest level of scammer activity ever, with some 20,000 contacts reported already.
Some advice: If you are contacted by telephone by someone claiming to be from IRS, it’s most likely a fraud. IRS usually initiates audits and collection efforts by mail. IRS will NEVER contact you by way of social media, texting or email. IRS will NEVER threaten you with deportation, jail, or cancellation of a driver’s license if you fail to pay your taxes, nor will IRS ever ask for a credit card, wire transfer, or debit card payment over the phone.
The new version of scams often appears legit and the phone number registers as an IRS number on your phone. If you are ever contacted by phone from someone claiming to be from IRS, hang up and call IRS at (800)829-1040 to determine if it’s official.