Don’t Fall for the “Federal Student Tax” Scam

You’d think the end of tax season would keep IRS scammers at bay, but nope, they’re still going strong, and in their latest ploy, they’re trying to trick college students into paying a “federal student tax.” There’s no such thing.

The IRS warned taxpayers about the scam in a recent press release, writing:

In this newest twist, they try to convince people to wire money immediately to the scammer. If the victim does not fall quickly enough for this fake “federal student tax”, the scammer threatens to report the student to the police.

“These scams and schemes continue to evolve nationwide, and now they’re trying to trick students,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Taxpayers should remain vigilant and not fall prey to these aggressive calls demanding immediate payment of a tax supposedly owed.”

In addition to the student tax scam, here are some other tactics to watch out for:

Immediate payment for taxes owed on an iTunes gift card.

Asking payroll departments for employees’ W-2 information (IR-2016-34)

“Verifying” tax return information over the phone (IR-2016-40)

Email schemes pretending to be from the tax preparation industry (IR-2016-28)

As the IRS points out, they will never call and demand payment over the phone. If they do call you about taxes you owe, you’ll first receive a bill in the mail. If you receive one of these calls, the IRS suggests you report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) They have an IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting web page, or you can call them at 800-366-4484.