IRS Scam? I Got a Call from a Suspicious Number Claiming to be the IRS
So I just got a call from this weird number today. When I answered, it was some automated recording claiming to be from the IRS saying I "misrepresented information" on my tax return and that I needed to call back immediately. The recording sounded super threatening, like I was in serious trouble with the IRS or something. This seemed super sketchy to me, but I was kinda freaked out so I actually called the number back. Some woman answered claiming to be an IRS agent and started asking for my personal information right away - my full name, social security number, and bank details. She said there was a "problem with my tax filing" and that I owed several thousand dollars that needed to be paid immediately to avoid legal action. Has anyone else gotten calls like this? Is this a known IRS scam? I hung up without giving any information, but I'm worried now. How do I know if the IRS is actually trying to contact me for real issues versus these scam calls?
18 comments
Join the conversation
AstroExplorer
This is 100% a scam. The IRS will never initially contact taxpayers by phone with threats or demands for immediate payment. Their first point of contact is always through official mail sent through the US Postal Service. These scammers use fear tactics to get you to act quickly without thinking. You did the right thing by hanging up without providing personal information. These scams have been circulating for years, but they get more sophisticated over time. If you're ever concerned about your tax status, you can: 1. Log into your account on the official IRS website (irs.gov) 2. Call the IRS directly using the phone number from their official website 3. Make an appointment at your local IRS office Never call back numbers left in voicemails claiming to be the IRS, and never provide personal information to inbound callers.
0 coins
Amara Nwosu
•Thanks for confirming! I was pretty sure it was a scam but started doubting myself when they were so persistent. Do you know if I should report this somewhere? And is there a way to verify if I actually do have any issues with the IRS just for peace of mind?
0 coins
AstroExplorer
•You can report IRS impersonation scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at their website or by calling 800-366-4484. It's always good to report these scams as it helps authorities track and potentially shut them down. For peace of mind, you can create or log into your account at irs.gov to view your tax records and see if there are any actual notices. Alternatively, you can call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040, but be prepared for potentially long wait times. If you filed through a tax professional, they can also help verify if there are any legitimate issues with your return.
0 coins
Giovanni Moretti
I had the exact same thing happen to me last year and was totally freaking out until I learned about these tax scams. After weeks of getting bombarded with these calls, I finally found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was a lifesaver. It's this AI tool that analyzes your tax documents and transcripts to tell you if you actually have any real issues with the IRS. I uploaded my last few years of returns and it confirmed I had no issues, which gave me peace of mind. It also explained what the IRS would actually do if they had a problem with my taxes (hint: not robocalls). The tool showed me exactly what my risk factors were and how likely I was to face an audit based on my actual tax history.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Farsi
•How does this actually work? Do you have to give them all your personal tax info? I'm always skeptical about sharing my tax documents with random websites.
0 coins
Dylan Cooper
•Sounds interesting but I'm not convinced. How does it actually know what the IRS has on file for you? Can it actually access your IRS account or something?
0 coins
Giovanni Moretti
•You upload your tax returns that you already filed, so it's analyzing documents you already have - not pulling new data from the IRS. The system uses the same risk factors and patterns that the IRS looks for to determine audit risk. It's encrypted and secure, and they don't store your documents permanently after analysis. The tool compares what's in your returns against typical audit triggers and can identify inconsistencies or red flags that might cause the IRS to take a closer look. It's not accessing your actual IRS account, but rather analyzing what you've already filed to give you a risk assessment.
0 coins
Dylan Cooper
I was super skeptical about tax analysis tools but after getting three scam calls in one week claiming I owed back taxes, I was desperate for some peace of mind. Decided to try taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and honestly, it was eye-opening. The system identified a mistake on my 2023 return that could have triggered an audit - something about unreported income from a 1099 I completely forgot about. What surprised me was how it explained exactly why certain items on my return might raise flags and gave me a clear risk assessment. Turns out I had a "medium" audit risk, but for legitimate reasons I could fix. Definitely made me feel more confident about distinguishing between real IRS issues and these constant scam attempts.
0 coins
Sofia Perez
These IRS scam calls are getting out of control. After getting like 5 of them in a week, I tried calling the actual IRS to report them but spent THREE HOURS on hold before giving up. If you need to actually talk to someone at the IRS (which I eventually did to confirm I had no issues), check out https://claimyr.com - they have this service that holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an agent is about to pick up. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was honestly shocked when it worked. After weeks of failing to get through to verify my tax status, I got connected to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes. The agent confirmed there were no issues with my account and gave me tips on handling these scam calls.
0 coins
Dmitry Smirnov
•How does that even work? The IRS phone system is notoriously awful - how can a third party service get you through faster?
0 coins
ElectricDreamer
•This sounds like another scam to me. How do we know this "service" isn't just collecting phone numbers or charging hidden fees? I've heard the only real way to contact the IRS is to keep calling the official number and just suffer through the wait times.
0 coins
Sofia Perez
•It doesn't get you through faster - it just waits on hold for you. Instead of you personally sitting there listening to hold music for hours, their system stays on the line and then calls you when a human finally answers. It's basically just automating the hold process. The service doesn't access any of your tax info or ask for personal details beyond your phone number to call you back when an agent is about to pick up. I was skeptical too but got desperate after my fifth attempt waiting on hold for over an hour.
0 coins
ElectricDreamer
I take back what I said about Claimyr possibly being a scam. After getting a SIXTH scam call claiming to be the IRS (this time threatening jail time over supposed tax fraud), I was desperate to confirm my actual tax status. I tried the Claimyr service and got connected to an actual IRS representative after about an hour. The IRS agent confirmed I had absolutely no issues with my account and that these were 100% scam calls. She even took the phone number that had been calling me to add to their fraud database. The whole process saved me from what would have been another frustrating multi-hour hold time. Literally just got a call back when they were ready to talk to me.
0 coins
Ava Johnson
The real IRS never threatens arrests or demands immediate payment over the phone. They always send multiple written notices first. If you want to be extra safe, here's what I did when I got similar calls: 1. Didn't respond to the callback number 2. Independently looked up the IRS customer service number 3. Called and verified I had no issues (after waiting on hold forever) 4. Added my number to the Do Not Call registry (doesn't stop all scammers but helps) 5. Blocked the scam numbers on my phone The worst part is these scammers specifically target elderly people and immigrants who might be more fearful of government authorities.
0 coins
Miguel Diaz
•Do you remember what the official IRS number is? I got one of these calls yesterday and now I'm paranoid even though I'm 99% sure it's a scam.
0 coins
Ava Johnson
•The general IRS customer service number is 800-829-1040. When you call, be prepared for a long wait time, and have your tax return handy as they'll ask verification questions to confirm your identity. I recommend calling early in the morning right when they open or later in the evening before they close as those tend to have shorter wait times. You can also try calling mid-week as Mondays and Fridays are typically their busiest days.
0 coins
Zainab Ahmed
Has anyone actually fallen for these scams? My grandmother almost sent them $4,000 in gift cards because they said she'd be arrested if she didn't pay immediately. The scary part was they had her actual name and the last 4 digits of her SSN (probably from some data breach). They kept her on the phone for hours so she couldn't call anyone else to verify.
0 coins
Connor Byrne
•Yes, these scams are successful enough that they keep doing them. My coworker's father lost $12,000 to an IRS scammer last year. They told him he had outstanding tax bills and would be arrested at work the next day if he didn't pay. They kept him on the phone for 5 hours while he went to different stores buying gift cards. He was too embarrassed to tell anyone until weeks later.
0 coins