Beware fake calls claiming back taxes, officials warn

The Montana Department of Revenue is warning residents to be wary of cold calls claiming they owe taxes to state or federal government.

A Great Falls man complained to federal and state officials Tuesday that he had received a suspicious call claiming his wife owed money on back taxes.

Tom Van Tighem said he took the call after he saw his caller identification said it was coming from the U.S. Treasury Department. But he said he became suspicious when the caller, who appeared to have an east Indian accent but claimed to be from Washington, D.C., said his wife owed tax money dating from 2009 to 2013.

Van Tighem said he hung up and called authorities when the man started to explain how the Van Tighems could pay the alleged back taxes by mailing a check or authorizing him to withdraw money from the their checking account.

Department of Revenue spokeswoman Mary Ann Dunwell said the agency's fraud unit deals with hundreds of such fraudulent calls a month, working with the federal Internal Revenue Service and the Montana Justice Department's Consumer Protection Office.

"It's a huge red flag when a resident gets an initial call from somebody saying they're with the federal IRS or state DOR claiming they owe tax money," Dunwell said.

Both agencies use official letters as their first means to contact residents about tax concerns, and only have follow-up phone calls once a resident has responded to the letter, she said.

If Montana residents want to report fraudulent calls or ask questions about whether a call is legitimate, Dunwell suggested they call the Department of Revenue's toll-free number, 866-859-2254. To report actual consumer fraud, they can call the Montana Justice Department's Consumer Protection Office at 800-481-6896.