For Immediate Release:
Monday, July 20, 2015
Hartford- While the income tax filing season has long been over, Commissioner of Revenue Services Kevin B. Sullivan today advised residents to be vigilant against fraudsters claiming to represent the Department of Revenue Services (DRS) or Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For several months these scammers have been calling residents about bogus tax bills and threatening legal action if payment is not made immediately.
Said Commissioner Sullivan, “I received one of these calls and understand how frightening it can be. The caller has just enough information – your name, phone number, and address – to make you think it might be legitimate. Add to that the threat of immediate arrest and these crooks have created a scenario certain to get at least some victims to pay.”
Both the IRS and DRS mail bills to taxpayers that owe money to the government, said Commissioner Sullivan, and payments are never requested in the form of a prepaid debit card. Also, the agencies would not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.
Said Commissioner Sullivan, “Always question the legitimacy of emails or phone calls claiming that you owe taxes. Contact us at the phone numbers posted on our website to verify if a caller is an actual government employee and if you do have an outstanding bill.”
If someone receives a scam call or email claiming to be from DRS, said Commissioner Sullivan, they should report it to the agency at (860) 297-5962.
Individuals who receive scam phone calls or emails claiming to be from the IRS are asked to file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov, and add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.
The IRS also posts information on its website at www.irs.gov about the latest tax scams and steps people should take if they are a target of a scam.
Media calls should be directed to the communications office at (860) 297-5610 or emailed to sarah.kaufman@po.state.ct.us.
Content Last Modified on 7/21/2015 7:49:12 AM
Jul 22
