CHARLESTON, W.Va.- DMV customers need to be aware of a phone scam being orchestrated by callers claiming to be the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and wanting to collect back taxes via pre-paid card or wire transfer. These fraudulent scammers attempt to collect money by threatening the customer that they will lose their driver’s license if they do not meet them somewhere with a pre-paid card or wire the money directly. These scammers may appear legitimate by having the last 4 digits of the victim's social security number, having caller ID show DMV, a DMV phone number, or an IRS phone number, or sending emails that have the IRS logo in them.
DMV contacts customers about potential driver’s license suspension or revocation or other actions by mail, not by phone. The IRS usually does not use phone calls either. According to a recent press release by the IRS, "The IRS usually first contacts people by mail – not by phone – about unpaid taxes. And the IRS won’t ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer."
The IRS recommends that customers who receive calls that are suspicious in nature should call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and then report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.
For more information regarding the IRS and any potential phone scam, visit their web page at www.irs.gov. For any DMV related concerns, please contact the Call Center at 1-800-642-9066.