INDIANAPOLIS — Gunner Conaster of Muncie is up to date on his taxes.
But he keeps getting voicemails claiming he owes back taxes to the government.
“It’s just a recording and it sounds very human-like,” said Conaster. “She says she knows I owe back taxes. I don’t."
The voicemail gives him a number to call and tells him they can get his back taxes forgiven.
“Had I been in a position where I had owed taxes, it would have been believable,” said Conaster. “I may have called back and been like, ‘What do I have to do?’"
It’s prime tax time, and a lot of people are filing their taxes before the April 15 deadline.
Scammers know this, and they’re flooding voicemail inboxes with messages about programs to help you with back taxes.
We called one of the numbers with an 833 area code, and when the operator picked up, he stated a different business name than the one left on the voicemail.
The operator said they were located in Huntington Beach, California, but we could not find any business registered in California by that name.
When we called back and asked more questions including what name they’re registered under in California, another operator hung up on us.
WRTV viewers shared voicemails similar to the ones Conaster received.
We shared viewers’ voicemails with Stacy Engle, an Indianapolis spokesperson with the Internal Revenue Service.
Engle said while they sound official, they’re likely scam calls.
"The IRS generally does not call people right out of the gate,” said Engle. “There is a letter that is generally mailed to the taxpayer through the postal service."
Engle said the best way to verify if you have back taxes or not is to go to www.irs.gov and sign into your account.
“You can see any notice, or any bill, or anything that’s going on wrong or possibly wrong with your account on that page,” said Engle.
You can also walk into an IRS Tax Assistance Center:
- 225 N. High St. Muncie, IN 47305
- 575 N. Pennsylvania St. Indianapolis, IN 46204
- 801 Wabash Ave Terre Haute, IN 47807
- 2425 Northpark Dr. Columbus, IN 47203
- 2017 S. Liberty Dr. Bloomington, IN 47403
You can also call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040.
Do not call the number that called you, even if it appears to be coming from the IRS, as it is likely a spoofed number.
“Red flags are if it comes via text message or social media, it's not the IRS,” said Engle.
Gunner Conaster said he typically deletes the voicemail messages, but he tried calling one back to be put on their do-not-call list.
That didn’t work.
“I still get calls a couple of times a week,” said Conaster.
The IRS typically contacts taxpayers via mail, although they may call you on the telephone.
The number one thing to remember is to not click on any links in messages claiming to be from the IRS.
The scammers can install malware on your phone and get your personal information.
The IRS says they will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.
- Demand that taxes be paid without giving taxpayers the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
- Call unexpectedly about a tax refund.
How to report an IRS impersonator:
- Report the call by visiting the Hotline page of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and using an IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting form or by calling800-366-4484.
- Report the number to phishing@irs.gov and put "IRS Phone Scam" in the subject line.
- Forms to report fraud are available on the Hotline page of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration website [lnks.gd]. Taxpayers just click the appropriate option under “IRS Scams and Fraud” and follow the instructions.
Have you been a victim of a scam? Contact WRTV Investigates at kara.kenney@wrtv.com.
