(조세금융신문=Richard Park 기자/미국 특파원) 미국 국세청(IRS, Internal Revenue Service)은 소득세 신고기한이 다가오면서 신고 관련 사기가 급증하고 있다며 납세자의 주의를 당부했다.

미국 국세청에 따르면, 대표적인 사기 유형은 미국 국세청 직원을 사칭해 납세자의 소득세 신고 사항 중 오류를 수정하기 위해 납세자 Social number, 신용카드/직불카드 번호 등 개인정보를 전화로 요구하거나, 미국 국세청에서 발송된 이메일로 가장해 납세자 개인금융정보를 입력하게 하는 것이다.

또한 국세청 직원이라고 소개한 후 납세자가 현재 체납된 세금이 있으니 체납 세금을 즉시 납부하지 않으면 체포 또는 추방될 수 있다고 협박, 체납된 세금을 지정된 계좌로 이체하거나 개인정보를 제공하도록 하는 사기 유형도 자주 발생하고 있다.

이와 함께 해킹 등으로 수집한 납세자의 개인정보를 이용해 부당하게 소득세 환급 신고를 미리 한 뒤 환급금을 수령하고 사라져 성실한 납세자에게 피해를 끼치는 사례도 다수 발생하고 있다.

미국 국세청은 “2013년 10월부터 올해 1월까지 약 896,000건의 소득세 신고 관련 사기사건이 보고됐다”며 “사기로 인한 피해자는 5,000명이 넘고 피해액은 2650만 달러가 넘었으며, 올해만 해도 사기 발생건수는 400% 이상 증가할 것으로 예상된다”고 발표했다.

미국 국세청은 또 “국세청 직원이 사전 우편 통지없이 전화로 납세자에게 전화를 하는 경우는 없으며, 납세자 Social number, 신용카드 등 개인금융정보를 요청하는 경우는 절대 없다”며 사기 피해를 당하지 않도록 납세자의 주의를 당부하면서 사기 전화나 이메일을 받았을 경우 국세청으로 신고하도록 홍보하고 있다. 

아래는 미 국세청 홈페이지에 공지된 자료다.

Consumer Alert: Scammers Change Tactics, Once Again
IR-2016-40, March 14, 2016

WASHINGTON — Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, but now the IRS is receiving new reports of scammers calling under the guise of verifying tax return information over the phone.

The latest variation being seen in the last few weeks tries to play off the current tax season. Scam artists call saying they have your tax return, and they just need to verify a few details to process your return. The scam tries to get you to give up personal information such as a Social Security number or personal financial information, such as bank numbers or credit cards.

“These schemes continue to adapt and evolve in an attempt to catch people off guard just as they are preparing their tax returns,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Don’t be fooled. The IRS won’t be calling you out of the blue asking you to verify your personal tax information or aggressively threatening you to make an immediate payment.”

The IRS reminds taxpayers to guard against all sorts of con games that continually change. The IRS, the states and the tax industry came together in 2015 and launched a public awareness campaign called Taxes. Security. Together. to help educate taxpayers about the need to maintain security online and to recognize and avoid “phishing” and other schemes.

The IRS continues to hear reports of phone scams as well as e-mail phishing schemes across the country.
“These schemes touch people in every part of the country and in every walk of life. It’s a growing list of people who’ve encountered these. I’ve even gotten these calls myself,” Koskinen said.

This January, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) announced they have received reports of roughly 896,000 phone scam contacts since October 2013 and have become aware of over 5,000 victims who have collectively paid over $26.5 million as a result of the scam. Just this year, the IRS has seen a 400 percent increase in phishing schemes.

Protect Yourself
Scammers make unsolicited calls claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via a phishing email. They’ve even begun politely asking taxpayers to verify their identity over the phone.

Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.

Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.

Here are some things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam.

The IRS will never:
·  Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you several bills.
·  Call or email you to verify your identity by asking for personal and financial information.
·  Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
·  Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
·  Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or e-mail.
·  Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money or to verify your identity, here’s what you should do:
If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:
·  Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
·  Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.

[조세금융신문(tfmedia.co.kr), 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]