Story highlights
IRS scam has swindled victims out of more than $15 million since 2013
Scammers warn of seizing property, prison time
FTC and Treasury department have open investigations
CNN
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They are very convincing when they call. They have a Washington phone number and can cite your financial history down to the cent.
They say you’re under investigation, in danger of losing your home, or worse, your freedom – unless you pay thousands of dollars on the spot.
But they’re not real. And you’re not in trouble. Not unless you take it seriously. This is a scam.
CNN Investigations
A big one. Federal authorities say it’s the largest IRS impersonation scam they’ve ever seen – swindling victims out of more than $15 million since it began in 2013.
“They have information that only the Internal Revenue Service would know about you,” said Timothy Camus, deputy inspector general for investigations with the Treasury Department. “It’s a byproduct of today’s society. There’s so much information available on individuals.”
Using identity theft technology, the thieves have successfully victimized more than 3,000 people in the past two years, although the Treasury Department cautions that number is only…
