Unexpected calls, texts, and voicemails from people using names such as American Tax Advisers, American Tax Advisors, American Tax Consultants, or Tax Resolution Teams, are being reported as part of a tax-related impersonation scam.
These messages may claim that you have unpaid taxes, unfiled returns, or an urgent IRS matter. They may also promise that you qualify for a special tax relief program that can reduce or eliminate what you owe.
Recent consumer reports show similar calls using different phone numbers and nearly identical messages. However, there is an important distinction: legitimate companies with similar names do exist. The name alone does not prove that a particular business is involved in these calls.
The calls generally use fear, urgency, and professional sounding language to persuade people to call back.
Common tactics include:
For example, a voicemail may say that a "time sensitive matter" involving your tax balance must be handled today and that special programs could significantly reduce or even eliminate the amount you owe.
This point is especially important when researching these calls. American Tax Advisers, LLC is a legitimate tax and financial services business. Its website says it has provided tax services since 1997. The company also has a warning stating that fraudsters are using names such as American Tax Advisors and American Tax Consultants and that the callers are not connected with its business. It says the company does not cold call consumers or solicit tax business or payments by phone.
Other legitimate businesses with similar names include:
Therefore, finding a real company with a similar name online does not mean that the person who called you represents that company. Scammers can impersonate legitimate businesses or use similar names and spoofed phone numbers.
However, there are critical differences in how legitimate entities operate:
The IRS normally contacts taxpayers through the U.S. Postal Service first regarding tax matters. An unexpected phone call or text that rushes you, threatens you, requests personal or financial information, or demands immediate payment is a major warning sign.
The IRS can make legitimate phone calls in certain circumstances, such as after previous correspondence or for a scheduled matter. So it is not accurate to say that every IRS call is fake. However, the IRS does not leave urgent prerecorded messages threatening arrest or demand payment through gift cards or cryptocurrency.
The IRS does use authorized private collection agencies for certain inactive tax debts. But there is a verification process.
You should receive two letters before the agency calls: one from the IRS and another from the assigned private collection agency. Both contain taxpayer authentication number that can help verify the caller.
Legitimate IRS collection processes also do not require you to pay an individual caller using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or similar methods.
Be particularly cautious when a caller or text:
The FTC has also taken action against tax-debt relief operations accused of impersonating government authorities and making false promises about reducing consumers' tax debts.
If American Tax Advisers or a similar entity contacts you, take these protective steps immediately:
The IRS also advises people who receive suspicious IRS related calls to record the number and hang up, then report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
You can report general fraud through the Federal Trade Commission Scam Portal and IRS related impersonation through the TIGTA Hotline.
If you already provided your SSN, banking information, account credentials, or other sensitive details, take action quickly.
Contact your bank or financial institution if financial information was exposed, change compromised passwords, and monitor your accounts for unusual activity. If you sent money, contact the payment provider or bank immediately and ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed.
You should also report the incident rather than continuing communication with the caller.
The American Tax Advisers scam uses a convincing business name, tax related fear, and urgent messages to persuade people to call back or provide information.
The strongest warning signs are unexpected contact, pressure to act immediately, threats, unrealistic tax relief promises, requests for sensitive information, and unusual payment demands.
At the same time, consumers should not assume that every company with a similar name is fraudulent. Legitimate businesses such as American Tax Advisers, LLC, American International Tax Advisers, US Tax Advisors & Services, and American Tax Experts do exist, and legitimate companies can themselves be victims of name impersonation.
If you are genuinely concerned about owing taxes, do not rely on an unsolicited caller. Go directly to IRS.gov, verify your account, and use official IRS channels.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for educational and awareness purposes. Company names, phone numbers, sender names, and other details referenced may have been impersonated, spoofed, or otherwise misused by scammers. Their appearance in this article does not necessarily identify the legitimate company, owner of a phone number or account as being involved in fraudulent activity.
This article has been written by a Scam Fighter Contributor, De-Reviews.com Team. If you believe the article above contains inaccuracies or needs to include relevant information, please contact ScamAdviser.com using this form.
De-Reviews.com Team is a group of scam researchers, editors, and online safety advocates dedicated to exposing online fraud and helping consumers stay safe online. The team has been investigating scams, fraudulent websites, phishing campaigns, and other online threats since 2014. Read the Full Author Profile.
