MONTGOMERY, Aug. 3, 2017 – Criminals continue to hassle and threaten honest taxpayers through phone calls by impersonating Alabama Department of Revenue or IRS personnel. DO NOT fall for these scams, and report them when they happen to you.
Taxpayers are reminded that if the Alabama Department of Revenue has a legitimate reason to make contact with them regarding taxes owed, then the department will do so by letter through the mail. ADOR will NOT make phone calls demanding immediate payment via a debit card or other specific methods, or to threaten arrest for non-payment.
There are many different kinds of phone scams, but essentially criminal callers, claiming to be representatives of ADOR, the IRS, the Department of Justice, or other government agencies, may threaten arrest or court action to trick taxpayers into making payments. The scammers may even offer the promise of a huge refund or advise they have sent letters that were returned undeliverable. Don’t be fooled by these callers. The Alabama Department of Revenue will not:

• Call to demand immediate payment, nor call about taxes owed without making multiple attempts to contact the taxpayer by mail.
• Demand that someone pay taxes without offering the opportunity to question or appeal the amount claimed to be owed.
• Require taxpayers to use a specific payment method for taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten immediate arrest over the phone of taxpayers for not paying.

Taxpayers who get calls that include any of these or other attempts to force payment or solicit personally identifiable information should:

• NOT give out any information;
• Hang up immediately; and
• Call the Alabama Department of Revenue at 251-344-4737.

To learn more about IRS-related scams, visit https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams-consumer-alerts.