IRS Phone Scam Targeting South Dakotans

IRS Phone Scam Targeting South Dakotans

PIERRE, S.D – Attorney General Marty Jackley is warning South Dakotans of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) phone scam that has surfaced in South Dakota.

The scam involves a caller telling the consumer they are being sued by the IRS for an unresolved debt. Some of the threats reported went as far to say there has been an arrest warrant issued for the consumer. The caller will then ask for personal identifying information or demand payment by wiring money.

“These scam artists use the threat of arrest to convince trusting individuals to pay a debt that is not legitimate. The IRS does not ask for personal identifying or financial information through phone calls,” said Jackley.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division believes some of these calls may be a result of the IRS data breach in May 2015.

Consumers who have received these phone calls should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or [email protected]. If you have a phone message claiming to be the IRS, do not use the number left on your phone, immediately contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to confirm whether the IRS is trying to contact you about a tax return.

Consumers are encouraged to check their credit report with the three nationwide credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 for a free copy of these credit reports. Consumers are entitled to a free copy from each company every 12 months. If consumers find errors on their report, contact the reporting agency in writing.

Consumers can also place a fraud alert on their credit reports to help mitigate potential issues by contacting the three credit reporting agencies:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289