

Taxpayers are urged not trust calls just because they are made through VRS, as interpreters don’t screen calls for validity. Some thieves have used video relay services (VRS) to try to scam deaf and hard of hearing individuals.


Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Callers claim to be IRS employees, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. A sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country.
