IRS scam ringing San Antonio phones

SAN ANTONIO – The pervasive IRS impostor phone scam continues to ring up fear.

The sophisticated scam, which the IRS said it the biggest phone scam they've ever seen, begins with a call demanding payment for a tax debt and quickly escalates to  intimidating threats.

"They will threaten arrest, deportation; they may threaten loss of a driver's license or business license as well," said IRS Special Agent Kurt Bertram.

Since the IRS  issued a warning about the scam, the calls have continued. 

A San Antonio couple, still too shaken to tell their story publicly,  shared a voice message they received.  The automated voice claimed to be from the IRS.

"The issue at hand is extremely time sensitive," the fake IRS agent said on the recording.  "Don't disregard this message and do return the call before we take legal action against  you." 

When they called the so-called IRS hotline provided, a convincing but fake IRS agent using the name Mike Anderson, told them they owe back taxes totaling $3898.32.

They were told they needed to pay up by 11 a.m. that day or face frozen accounts, a revoked driver's license and immediate arrest that could lead to five years in prison.

They said he even demanded they remain silent while he read them their rights.

The couple said the call seemed like it could possibly be legitimate because they  had recently made an IRS payment  of a few thousand dollars and thought perhaps it had  not arrived.

The impostor kept them on the phone for nearly an hour, instructing them to go to a local store to get what he called "tax pay vouchers", nothing more than prepaid debit cards.  He wanted them to provide the security codes on the cards.

The scam went a step further.  The couple then received a voice message purported to be from the State Department of Motor Vehicles.

"This is Mark Brown from the Department of Motor Vehicles," the recording began. "We just canceled your driving license for the next three years on the request of the IRS authorities."

The cons even manipulated  or spoofed the IRS and Texas Department of Public Safety phone numbers to appear in the caller ID window.

The couple did not follow the instructions nor make any payments.  However, thousands of people nationwide, particularly immigrants,  have because the ruse is convincing.

"I think it's the false sense of urgency they provide on the phone and fear, fear that the IRS is going to come and arrest you," said Bertram.

When a taxpayer owes the IRS, the agency first contacts them by mail, not by phone.

The Treasury Inspector General continues to investigate.

If you think you've received a call from the fraudsters, contact the  Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.