IRS imposter scams occur when someone contacts you pretending to work for the IRS. The imposter may contact you by phone, email, postal mail, or even a text message. There are two common types of scams: Tax collection - You receive a phone call or letter, claiming that you owe taxes. They will demand that you pay the amount immediately, usually with a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may even threaten to arrest you if you don’t pay. Verification - You receive an email or text message that requires you to verify your personal information. The message often includes a hyperlink phrase which reads “click here.” Or, you may see a button that links you to a fraudulent form or website. How to Report IRS Imposter Scams Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) if you think that an IRS imposter has contacted you. Report IRS imposter scams online or by calling TIGTA at 1-800-366-4484. Forward email messages that claim to be from the IRS to phishing@irs.gov. How to Avoid IRS Imposter Scams There are things you can do to protect yourself from an IRS imposter scam. Do: Beware if someone calls claiming to be from the IRS. The IRS will always contact you by mail before calling you about unpaid taxes. Ask the caller to provide their name, badge number, and callback number. Then call TIGTA at 1-800-366-4484 to find out if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate reason to contact you. If you confirm that the caller is from the IRS, call them back. Otherwise, report the scam call to TIGTA.  Become familiar with what fraudulent IRS email messages look like. Review a sample IRS phishing email. Verify the number of the letter, form, or notice on the IRS website. Be suspicious of threats. The IRS won’t threaten to have police arrest you for not paying a bill. Don’t: Don’t give in to demands to pay money immediately. Be especially suspicious of demands to wire money or pay with a prepaid debit card. Don’t trust the name or phone number on a caller ID display that shows “IRS.” Scammers often change the name that shows on caller ID using a technique called spoofing. Don’t click on any links in email or text messages to verify your information.