Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

A7
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 5 april 2017

US Financial Front:

Owe the IRS? The tax man’s coming, and he’s got private help

charges against 61 defen- fast payment was needed cards, and we don’t do it
dants in the United States to get out of trouble. with aggressive, threaten-
and abroad in connection Murphy offered several tips ing phone calls.”
with call center operations to detect con artists. “We will never use a phone
based in India. “No one will hear from a call to threaten to bring in
Callers worked off scripts private collection firm un- the police or have some-
posing as agents for the less they have unpaid tax one arrested,” Murphy
IRS or U.S. Immigration and debts going back several added.
Customs Enforcement. years and they’ve already Even though private firms
They told unsuspecting vic- heard from IRS multiple will be contacting taxpay-
tims that they had failed times about this debt,” she ers, all payments should be
to pay taxes or were at risk said. “We don’t collect made to the U.S. Treasury,
of deportation, and that a taxes on iTunes cards or gift Murphy said.q

This photo shows the Internal Revenue Service Building in Wash-
ington. The IRS says it is once again using private debt collec-
tors to go after tax delinquents. The resumption of the program
comes amid a wave of telephone scams in which fake IRS
agents try to con innocent taxpayers out of their money.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER The private companies will
Associated Press then send letters to the tax-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The payers before calling them.
IRS is resuming the use of “The IRS remains extreme-
private debt collectors ly concerned about the
amid a wave of telephone many con artists out there
scams in which fake gov- who masquerade as IRS
ernment agents tell inno- employees or contractors,”
cent taxpayers to pay up said Mary Beth Murphy,
or face jail, the tax agency who heads the small busi-
announced Tuesday. ness and self-employed di-
The IRS stopped using pri- vision at the IRS.
vate debt collectors in “We urge everyone to be
2009 after the agency de- on the lookout for scam-
termined that IRS employ- mers who might use this
ees could better do the program as a cover to
work. But Congress passed swindle taxpayers,” she
a law in 2015 requiring the said.
IRS to restart the program. Since the fall of 2013, more
The IRS says it will soon start than 1.9 million people
turning over the accounts have received unsolicited
of 100 taxpayers a week telephone calls from fake
to four private debt collec- government agents, ac-
tors. cording to the inspector
The program will grow to general for tax administra-
1,000 accounts a week for tion. The callers demand
each firm by the end of money, saying the victim
summer. owes unpaid taxes. To
The firms can keep up to 25 date, over 10,300 victims
percent of what they col- have paid more than $55
lect. million to the criminals.
To combat fraud, the IRS The IRS has said the scam
says it is sending letters to is so widespread that mul-
taxpayers alerting them tiple criminal organizations
that their accounts are be- are taking part.
ing turned over to private In October, the Justice
debt collectors. Department announced