This last tax season, the IRS saw a 400 percent surge in phishing and malware schemes.
Phone scammers will claim to be IRS employees and sound convincing with fake identification numbers and names. They often claim to know a lot of personal information, which they’ve previously combed from the internet. They’ll also direct people to websites like 'IRSgov.'
But authorities say: pay close attention. In that case, there's no 'dot' between IRS and gov — so it's a scam.
Oregon Department of Revenue manager Ken Ross says taxpayers need to actively protect their information.
The IRS says it will never demand immediate payment using a pre-paid credit card or wire transfer, and it won’t ask for credit card numbers over the phone.
The IRS says it will give people an opportunity to appeal any tax bill.