Tax season is here and so are IRS scams. An IRS scam is when someone contacts you pretending to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and falsely claim that you owe taxes. The scammer insists you must pay immediately or face penalties or jail time.

To help you better spot a scammer, we’ve listed some examples that signal scammer, not IRS.

How to Spot a Scammer:

• Yell or insult you during the call
• Threaten you with jail time, arrest, or deportation
• Ask for tax payment by email, text message or through social media (example: Facebook messenger)
• Request tax payment by gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or wire transfer

How to Spot a Real IRS Contact:

• Will send a bill through USPS first to let you know you owe taxes
• Will offer you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount of taxes you owe. This can typically be done through a phone call. (TIP: call early as wait times can be lengthy)
• Will instruct you to make payments to the United States Treasury

If you feel you’ve been a victim of an IRS scam, call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484 and go to FTC.gov/complaint