Telephone Scams Targeting Oregon Taxpayers, Aug. 20

After recent reports of callers fraudulently identifying themselves as collection agents, the Oregon Department of Revenue is reminding taxpayers to take measures to protect their personal identifying information. Taxpayers have reported receiving phone calls from individuals identifying themselves as Revenue representatives or IRS agents. The caller says the victim has a tax debt and demands payment by wire transfer or credit card. The caller may threaten legal action in an effort to coerce taxpayers to disclose personal identifying information such as Social Security or credit card numbers. “Revenue employees may ask you to verify some personal information, but they won’t threaten you or demand personal or financial information,” explained Ken Ross, Revenue’s Personal Tax program manager. “If you think you’re being scammed, end the call and contact us directly. We encourage the public to protect themselves by verifying they’re speaking with legitimately authorized representatives of the Department of Revenue.” Direct contact information for Revenue and its field offices is available online or in government directories.