Illinois Attorney General warns of IRS phone scam

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is warning residents about phone scammers posing as IRS agents.

Illinois residents have been called by scammers pretending to be IRS agents who try to scare them into sending money for unpaid taxes in order to avoid lawsuits or prosecution, according to a statement from the attorney general’s office.

The scammers “spoof” phone numbers so that the victim’s caller ID will read IRS or the (202) area code for Washington D.C., Madigan’s office said.

“It is critical to know that the IRS does not call and tell people they are under investigation or that they owe money,” Madigan said. “If you receive a call like this, even if your caller ID shows what appears to be a legitimate name or number, hang up immediately.”

Madigan said consumers should report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at (800) 366-4484, and that Illinois residents should report the scam to her Consumer Fraud Bureau at (800) 386-5438 (Chicago), (800) 243-0618 (Springfield), (800) 243-0607 (Carbondale) or (866) 310-8398 (Spanish).