Across the country, thousands of people have lost their personal information and their money to tax-related scams. Scammers use the phone, social media, email, and snail mail to pose as employees of government, Virginia Tax, or the IRS. They may claim that you have violated a tax law, cheated on tax credits, or demand payment on money you owe to the state or federal government.
Virginia Tax initiates most collections actions through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service. However, in some circumstances, we will call you to resolve an unpaid tax bill. We’ll mail letters to the address we have for you on file first.
Note that Virginia Tax does not:
- Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer. If you owe taxes, we will first mail a bill to the address we have for you on file.
- Demand that you pay taxes without the opportunity to question or appeal.
- Threaten violence or have you arrested for not paying. We also cannot revoke your driver’s license, business licenses, or immigration status. Threats like these are common tactics scam artists use to trick victims.
- Ask for personal information through text message, social media, or other methods that aren’t secure.
To learn more about protecting yourself from fraud, please visit our Taxpayer Alerts page.