IRS to start making calls to collect debt, but be wary of scammers

Tax season is in full swing, which means thieves could be using phone calls to try to rip people off.

In the past, the Internal Revenue Service didn’t use the phone.

But this year, the IRS will start making calls asking for money, too, so experts warn it’s important to tell the difference.

Orlando resident James Walker said a scammer asked him to hand over money and threatened his life.

“If you don’t hand over the money, then there’s a hit out on you,” said Walker.

While the IRS would never use threats, the agency has hired collection agencies to call some taxpayers to collect money.

The IRS admits its decision to hand over some cases to debt collectors could cause some confusion because of all the scams going around.

Which is why the agency says it will send two letters before it sends cases to collectors.

But there are other ways to find out if the person on the other end of the line really works for the IRS.

Some apps will send an alert saying the person calling is scammer.

AT&T Call Protect and Hiya are a couple of free phone apps that scan numbers to see if they’re associated with scammers.

But Better Business Bureau of Central Florida spokeswoman Erika Urdaneta said even with apps, a scammer can get you.

“They’re constantly changing phone numbers, so how accurate that may be, that’s for consumers to be aware of,” she said.

The IRS said it would never ask someone to pay with a prepaid debit card.

Cox Media Group