Government impersonation
Is the IRS text or call a scam?
Quick answer
Yes — every unsolicited IRS text or threatening phone call is a scam. The real IRS contacts taxpayers by US mail first, never by SMS, never by email, and never demands immediate payment in gift cards, wire, or cryptocurrency. If someone claiming to be the IRS contacts you any other way, it's an impersonator.
Red flags to look for
- Threatens immediate arrest, deportation, or license suspension
- Demands payment in gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or prepaid debit cards
- Text or email — IRS does not contact taxpayers this way for first contact
- Caller ID 'spoofed' to show 'IRS' or a Washington DC number
- Refuses to give you a callback number or pin to verify through irs.gov
Real examples
Phone call
This is Officer Johnson with the Internal Revenue Service. A warrant has been issued for your arrest for unpaid taxes. To avoid imprisonment, you must pay $2,847 in Apple gift cards within the next hour.
Likely Scam
The IRS does not arrest people for unpaid taxes by phone, does not accept gift cards as payment, and never gives one-hour deadlines. Every element is fake.
Email
IRS Tax Refund Notice: You are eligible for a refund of $1,847.30. Click here to claim within 24 hours: irs-refund-claim.us
Likely Scam
The IRS does not email refunds. The real domain is irs.gov — anything else is a fake. The link harvests SSNs, bank info, and identity data.
What to do
- Hang up immediately if it's a call. Do not engage, do not press any numbers.
- Do not click any link in IRS-themed emails or texts.
- If you owe taxes (or think you might), check directly at irs.gov by logging into your account.
- Report IRS phone scams to TIGTA at tigta.gov/reportcrime or 1-800-366-4484.
- Forward suspicious IRS-themed emails to phishing@irs.gov.
- If you paid: call your bank, file a police report, and report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
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Why scammers use this approach
IRS scams exploit the universal fear of tax trouble. Victims are often older adults or recent immigrants — both groups statistically more likely to trust authority and less familiar with how the IRS actually operates. Gift-card payment is preferred by scammers because it's untraceable and irreversible once redeemed.
Frequently asked questions
How does the IRS actually contact people?
First contact is almost always by physical US mail. The IRS may follow up by phone after mail contact, but never demands immediate payment over the phone.
The caller knew my last four digits of SSN. Is that proof?
No. Partial SSNs are widely leaked. A scammer with your last four is not the IRS.