Receiving an unexpected letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is seldom a good thing, and when it’s asking you to verify your identity, your brain heats up with red flags, warning sirens, questions, and concerns. Have I fallen victim to identity theft? Is this a phishing scam? Are con artists now posing as IRS agents to get my personal information? What should I do?

First and foremost, don’t panic. Most people’s instinct when they receive such a letter is to click a link (if they received it via email) or visit the website or call the phone number provided in the letter to find out what it’s about. And if the letter is part of a phishing scam, that’s exactly what the con artist wants you to do.

Is This Letter Really From the IRS?

If you received a notice out of the blue from the IRS via email, text, or even through one of your social media accounts, it’s probably not from the IRS. That’s not how they roll. When the IRS needs to contact a taxpayer, they typically do so in the form of a printed letter delivered by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

If you received a printed letter in the mail, examine the envelop and letter closely for signs of fraud, including the following: Continue reading…