AG Frosh warns Marylanders of IRS scam

Maryland Attorney General Frosh has urged Maryland consumers to watch out for a scam involving the Internal Revenue Service and fraudulent tax bills related to the Affordable Care Act.

“Maryland consumers, taxpayers and tax professionals should be wary of this new scam,” said Attorney General Frosh. “While the notifications may look official, sadly, it’s just another way scammers take money from unwitting consumers. The IRS does not send emails.”

According to the release, the IRS has received numerous reports of scammers sending a fraudulent version of a notice – labeled CP2000 – for tax year 2015.

Officials note this scam may arrive by email, as an attachment, or by mail. It has many signs of being a fake, for example:

• The CP2000 notices appear to be issued from an Austin, Texas, address
• The letter says the issue is related to the Affordable Care Act  and requests information regarding 2014 coverage
• The payment voucher lists the letter number as 105C
• Requests checks made out to “I.R.S.” and sent to the “Austin Processing Center” at a post office box

Unfortunately, IRS impersonation scams take many forms: threatening phone calls, phishing emails and demanding letters. The IRS does not initiate unsolicited email contact or contact by social media.

Officials say that an authentic CP2000 notice is used when income reported from third-party sources such as an employer does not match the income reported on the tax return. Unlike the fake, it provides extensive instructions to taxpayers about what to do if they agree or disagree that additional tax is owed. A real notice requests that checks be made out to “United States Treasury.”

Any Maryland consumer victimized by this scam should contact their local law enforcement agency and file a criminal complaint. Also, a victim or anyone else who receives such a letter is urged to submit a complaint to the Consumer Protection Division by visiting this page to file online or print out a complaint form.

Consumers may also call the Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline at 410-528-8662 or 1-888-743-0023.