HIGH government impersonation
IRS calling about your tax refund or arrest warrant
Scammer impersonates an IRS agent claiming you owe back taxes or have an arrest warrant, demanding immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
Also known as: IRS arrest warrant call, tax debt robocall, IRS gift card scam
What to do right now
- 1 Hang up immediately — do not engage with the caller
- 2 Do not call back any number the caller gives you
- 3 If you genuinely think you owe taxes, call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040
- 4 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ The IRS always contacts people by mail first — never by unsolicited phone call
- ⚠ Demands immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency
- ⚠ Threatens arrest, deportation, or license revocation
- ⚠ Caller ID may be spoofed to show 'IRS' or a Washington DC number