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IRS / Tax Scam
"You owe back taxes — pay now or be arrested."
How this scam works
A caller claims to be from the IRS saying you owe back taxes and will be arrested, deported, or have your license revoked unless you pay immediately — usually by gift card, wire transfer, or crypto.
🚩 Red flags
- •Threats of arrest, deportation, or police showing up
- •Demands payment by gift card, wire, or cryptocurrency
- •Pressure to pay 'right now' with no time to verify
- •Caller ID may be spoofed to show 'IRS' or a Washington D.C. number
✅ What to do
Hang up. The real IRS first contacts you by mail and never demands gift-card payment or threatens immediate arrest. Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Got a call you want to check?
Look up the number to see where it’s from and its risk.