Scams going around · Phone calls

IRS back taxes scam call

Pretends to be the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) or an IRS agent. A caller or a recorded message says it's the IRS. It says you owe back taxes (unpaid taxes from past years) and must pay right away. Some callers threaten arrest. They want your personal information, or money paid in a way that's hard to trace. They may ask for a gift card or a wire transfer (money sent through a money transfer company).

An example of what it can look like

Not a real message: the details are made up.

Caller ID: IRS, (202) 555-0171

This is an urgent message from the IRS. You owe back taxes, and a warrant has been issued for your arrest. To avoid legal action, call us back today at (202) 555-0171 and press 1 to speak with an agent. Payment must be made today by gift card or wire transfer.

How to tell

• You weren't expecting the call. The IRS says it normally contacts you first by mail from the U.S. Postal Service.
• The caller rushes you to pay now, or threatens arrest, deportation or taking away your driver's license. The IRS says it never calls to demand payment now or threaten arrest.
• A recorded message gives details about taxes you owe. The IRS says its real recorded messages don't share specific details. They send you to IRS.gov.
• They want you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or payment app. A wire transfer sends money through a money transfer company. Cryptocurrency is a kind of digital money. A payment app sends money from your phone. The IRS and its debt collectors won't demand that you pay those ways.
• Your caller ID (the name or number your phone shows) says "IRS", or the caller knows your Social Security number. Caller ID can be faked. Knowing your details doesn't mean the call is really from the IRS.

What to do

• Write down the number that called, then hang up. You don't owe the caller an explanation.
• If it's a recorded call (a robocall), don't press any numbers.
• Don't call back the number the caller gave you or the one on your caller ID.
• Don't pay anything, and don't give out your Social Security, bank or card numbers.
• Before you do anything with money, talk it over with someone you trust.

If you already tapped, paid, called or replied

1. Paid with a debit card, credit card or bank transfer? Call your bank, credit union or credit card company right away. Use the number on the back of your card. Ask them to refund your money.
2. Paid with a gift card? Call the company that issued it right away. Use the number on the back of the gift card. Keep the card and the receipt, if you have it.
3. Paid through a wire transfer company, like Western Union or MoneyGram? Or a payment app, like Venmo, Cash App or PayPal? Report it to that company right away. Tell them a scammer tricked you, and ask for a refund.
4. Paid with cryptocurrency (a kind of digital money)? Contact the company or ATM operator you used, right away. Tell them it was fraud, and ask them to reverse it.
5. Gave out your Social Security number? If someone has used your Social Security number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. If it hasn't been used, or you aren't sure, go to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.

How to check for real

Don't use any number from the call. To see if you really owe anything, look at your tax account at IRS.gov or call the IRS at 800-829-1040.

Where to report it

• The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) hotline, by phone at 800-366-4484
• ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the Federal Trade Commission's reporting site
• Your state attorney general

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Where this comes from

Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.

• IRS: How to know it's the IRS
• IRS: Report fake IRS, Treasury or tax-related emails and messages
• FTC: How to avoid a government impersonation scam
• FTC: What to do if you were scammed