Fake IRS scammers are getting bolder

The phone rings and it’s the IRS – or so says the caller on the other end. The conversation that follows is aggressive, demanding and frightening.   

But Consumer Reports said what’s really going on is a scam.”The imposters can be quite convincing,” said senior editor of Consumer Reports Tobie Stanger. “They often use phony names and IRS badge numbers. They even enlist accomplices who claim to be the police.”

Other tricks used include sending texts and e-mails demanding confidential information missing from tax returns.

Stanger said these schemes are aimed at getting important data like a Social Security number.