> Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
> Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
> Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
> Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
> Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
Offshore IRS collection scare scam - person answering the phone when I called back (knowing that this is a scam) had a very heavy India / Indonesia accent. The message left is very common - word for word - for the scam.
Message left:
"The very second you receive this message, I need you or your retained attorney of record to return the call the issue at hand is extremely time sensitive. I'm Officer Nicky Johnson from Internal Revenue Service and the hotline to my division as 323-729-3119. I repeat, It's 323-729-3119. Don't disregard this message and do return the call before we take any action against you. Goodbye and take care."
Bottom line - The IRS does not contact people or businesses in this manner and when you call the real IRS, they go to lengths to insure you are who you say you are and go to lengths to protect personal information. They also identify themselves with an identification or badge number.