How the IRS normally contacts you

The IRS says it normally contacts you the first time by mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Real notices print a CP or LTR number in the upper right corner, and you can look that number up on IRS.gov or in our notice finder. Some notices also appear in your IRS Online Account.

The IRS sends emails or texts only to people who signed up for them. It never sends direct messages on social media. It can call, and in some cases visit, but unannounced visits are rare and it generally sends a letter first.

Warning signs of an IRS scam

  • The contact is unexpected and rushes you to act.
  • It demands payment now, or else, and gives you no way to question or appeal the amount.
  • It threatens you, for example with arrest.
  • It asks for personal or financial information.
  • It wants payment by gift card, prepaid debit card, or wire transfer. The IRS has said gift cards cannot be used to pay taxes.
  • It promises a refund you did not expect.

If a private collection agency contacts you

The IRS does assign some overdue accounts to private collection agencies. Before an agency contacts you, the IRS first mails Notice CP40 telling you that your account was assigned. The agency then sends its own first letter, and both letters contain the same taxpayer authentication number.

How to pay safely

Pay only through IRS.gov/payments, or by check or money order payable to “U.S. Treasury.” If someone asks you to pay any other way, stop and verify with the IRS first.

How to check with the IRS yourself

Call the IRS at 800-829-1040, or sign in to your IRS Online Account. Use contact information you look up yourself. A scammer’s letter or voicemail can include a fake callback number.

An IRS employee who visits should carry two forms of official ID: a pocket commission and a federal ID card. You can confirm an IRS Criminal Investigation special agent at employee-verification.irs.gov.

Where to report a fake

  • Phone calls: write down the number, hang up, and report it to the TIGTA hotline or at 800-366-4484.
  • Emails: forward them to phishing@irs.gov with “IRS” in the subject line, then delete them.
  • Texts: send the details to phishing@irs.gov with “Text” in the subject line, and forward the text to 7726 (SPAM).
  • Social media: report the account to the platform and send its web address to phishing@irs.gov with “Social media” in the subject line.
  • Letters: report fake mail to the U.S. Postal Service and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

If you already paid a scammer or shared personal information, see the IRS pages If you were scammed and Identity Theft Central.

Sources

This page restates guidance from these IRS pages, checked October 22, 2026: