Watch out for the latest email scam: It's not the IRS that wants your money
Eli Weissman, CFP®, CPWA®
![Eli Weissman, CFP®, CPWA®]()
Eli Weissman, CFP®, CPWA®
I help busy lobbyists Reduce Taxes • Retire Early • Pursue Their Passions
A fake email is going around and this one is particularly sleazy. An official looking CP-2000 notice shows up in your inbox demanding payment, alleging to be from the IRS. It's not.
Let's set the record straight. The IRS does not call people by phone...or send emails demanding payment...or issue ultimatums by ravens for you Game of Thrones fans.
If you do get a notice from the IRS it will be delivered by snail mail. Any requests for payment will have instructions for checks to be made out to the United States Treasury. Not the I.R.S. or "Austin Processing Center"
If you do get an official looking notice and are unsure of its legitimacy, check with your tax professional, accountant, or Certified Financial Planner professional.
Advocate, thought leader, narrative builder, problem solver with a tax administration, tax policy, and tax professional focus. Principal at Kerr Consulting LLC.
8yI'd include tax professional in your final sentence, Eli! Other than that, these schemes and phishing expeditions have been pervasive and are growing in sophistication. We've spent a lot of time at NAEA raising awareness among enrolled agents, who are receiving all too regular inquiries from their clients. Btw, IRS also does not ask for or accept payment on iTunes cards (and no, I'm not making up that scheme). Finally, here's a link to a fake CP2000, which includes annotation on what's wrong with it: https://www.calt.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/files-page/SCAMletter.pdf