DeLauro Warns Connecticut Residents to Be On the Defensive against IRS Phone Scam

NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) today joined Connecticut Consumer Protection Deputy Commissioner, Michelle Seagull and Connecticut Department of Revenue Services Deputy Commissioner Joseph Mooney to warn Connecticut residents about an ongoing IRS phone scam. The fraudsters claim that the intended victim owes the government a substantial amount of money and faces possible arrest. DeLauro’s office has been contacted by dozens of Connecticut residents who received calls from people posing as IRS agents.

Despite this type of ongoing scam, the IRS’s investigations budget has been chronically underfunded. Over the past five years it has dwindled by more than $40 million, before accounting for inflation.

“It is disturbing that criminal scams seek to exploit people who are trying to do the right thing and pay their taxes in full and on time," DeLauro said. "Unfortunately, we typically see a surge in these scams around this time of the year, in the run-up to the tax filing deadline. This is a very serious issue that can cost people thousands of dollars. I will continue to fight to raise awareness of these despicable phone scams, and to restore funding to the IRS’s investigations budget so they can pursue the criminals, bring them to justice and deter future crimes.”

Mooney said: “State and federal tax agencies are constantly strengthening our efforts to prevent fraudulent income tax refund claims because it is a crime. Taxpayers can do their part. Never respond to messages seeking personal identification or tax information without confirming it is legitimate - because it’s usually not. If you suspect fraud, report it and never cash a refund check you haven’t filed for. Never sign a blank tax filing, never let a preparer receive your refund and be sure any tax preparer you choose is legitimate.”

“I want to thank Congresswoman DeLauro for hosting today’s event and her consistent efforts to protect consumers, in this case by getting the word out on this ongoing bogus scheme,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan A. Harris said. “Informed consumers are their own best protection against bad actors in the marketplace.”

“If you have any doubt about the legitimacy of the person on the other end of the phone, hang up and call the company or the organization yourself,” Seagull said. “You should never feel pressured to give your money or information to anyone on the telephone.”

Since October 2013, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has been contacted almost 300,000 times about this scam. The IRS has put phone scams on its list of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ tax scams that Americans should be alert for in 2015.


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