IRS Warns of Student Tax Scam

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Now that school is back in session, the Internal Revenue Service is warning college students of a new kind of scam designed to get their money and their personal information.

The IRS said impersonators are calling students pretending to be from the agency and demanding that they wire money immediately to pay a “federal student tax.”

IRS Spokesman Mark Green said the scammer uses bullying tactics and threats of arrest to try and scare the student into sending them money.

According to Green, there is no such thing as a “federal student tax.”

He said the scammers usually use a fake caller ID that makes the student think the call really is from the IRS.

They then try to get the student to put money on a green dot card or some other card.

Green said if a student truly owes income tax or a student loan payment, the IRS will contact them by mail.

Also, Green said students should tell their parents if they receive such a call.

He went on to say that Georgia has lost almost a million dollars to IRS scammers this year alone.