The Rhode Island Division of Taxation is warning residents about a phone scam in which callers pose as real division employees and display the agency’s actual phone numbers on caller ID.
The division said in an advisory issued Thursday that it has received reports of the scam, which it described as convincing and difficult to identify.
Callers are impersonating real division employees, using spoofing technology to make the agency’s genuine phone numbers appear on caller ID, phoning repeatedly to pressure people into answering, and leaving voicemails asking for a callback, according to the advisory.
Scammers posing as tax authorities typically try to convince people they owe taxes they don’t know about, then create urgency to get the supposed debt resolved quickly, the division said.
How to tell a real call from a fake one
The division said it will always mail written notice about a tax debt or other tax issue before it calls.
It said it will never make threatening, insulting, hostile or aggressive statements; never request payment by gift card or wire transfer; and will not take payment over the phone or ask for checking account or credit card information by phone.
If you have not received anything in the mail and you get a call from the Division of Taxation, the call may not be legitimate — even if the number looks real.
What to do
If a call seems suspicious, don’t answer it.
If you’re unsure whether a call is genuine, call the division directly at 401-574-8829, option 3. Do not call back the number that called you, or any number left in a voicemail.
If you answer and suspect a scam, don’t engage with the caller. Hang up, write down the number, and take a screenshot if the call came to a smartphone.
Report scam calls to the division’s Taxpayer Assistance Section at tax.assist@tax.ri.gov, attaching any screenshots or photos, or by calling 401-574-8829, option 3.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of identity theft should contact their local police department.
Division phone lines are staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on business days. The division says email is the fastest way to reach it.
