IRS warning about new mail scam

Another new twist to an old scam. The IRS is warning people to be hyper vigilant as they receive letters in the mail that seem to be certified by the IRS, where scammers are threatening arrest. Last month WTVD reported Hillsborough police were warning people to not answer these automated phone calls and to not worry a warrant was going to be issued for their arrest.

In the latest scam, the scammer is taking advantage of the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). The scammer tells the victim about two certified letters purportedly sent to the taxpayer in the mail but were returned as undeliverable. According to the IRS, the scammer then threatens arrest if a payment is not made through a prepaid debit card. The scammer also tells the victim that the card is linked to the EFTPS system when, in fact, it is entirely controlled by the scammer.

This is not the first time that this has happened. In July of 2016 Decora Martin in Raleigh received a phone call from what she believed was the IRS demanding for $6800 in the form of iTunes gift cards. You can read more about Martin?s story here.

To avoid falling victim to one of these scams and to learn more about the tell tale signs of a scam you can access the IRS website here.