State Officials Warn Taxpayers of Aggressive Phone Scam

The FBI and the IRS don’t call or email taxpayers to collect money or threaten arrest, Connecticut officials say, and calls or emails that do are possibly part of a phone scam.

The scam has spread around the country in recent years, but Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen assured people “the IRS will always send taxpayers a written notification of any tax due through the U.S. mail, not through an unsolicited phone call,” according to a state news release.

People are advised to ignore phone calls or report them to the federal Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

State officials warned consumers in April about this type of aggressive scam, and people continue to report the potential trap.

Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein said in some cases, the scammers have information about the people they call, such as parts of a social security number or bank account number, but people should not send payments to these callers.

According to the news release, the IRS gave advice for people who get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS:

• If you know you owe taxes, or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS employees at that number can help you with a payment issue --  if there really is an issue.

For more information or answers to questions, contact the Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Unit at 860-808-5420 or the Department of Consumer Protection at 1-800-842-2649.