IRS imposters strike harder

WASHINGTON (WJLA) – When the law enforcement agency that oversees the Internal Revenue Service warned in the spring of 2014 of the "largest-ever phone fraud scam targeting taxpayers," it did not realize the 20,000 victims would be just the tip of a growing iceberg.

As of today, close to 300,000 consumers have reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Taxpayer Administration, or TIGTA for short, that they've been contacted by callers claiming to be from the IRS. As we head into tax season in 2015, 12,000 people are complaining to TIGTA about the IRS impersonation scam every single week. At least $14 million have been reported to be extorted by criminals, and the actual number may be twice that high.

Even one of the chief investigators fielded a call at home. How much did he supposedly owe the IRS in back taxes? Seven-hundred-fifty dollars, Tim Camus, deputy treasury inspector general for investigations, told 7 On Your Side Consumer Investigator Kimberly Suiters. And if he didn't pay right away, the caller would send the police to his door? Correct.

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