In view of the number of tax scams mounting in the country, the IRS has issued advisory cautioning the tax payers to be extra vigilant and alert while filing tax details.

The IRS alerted that the scammers have devised new techniques for befooling the taxpayers. The victims are being approached through emails, phone-calls and even letters.

In a press statement issued recently, the IRS stated that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has so far, reported 6,00,000 complaints since October, 2013. They said that the tax losses turn out to be about $20 million, in total.

Some of the victims were also approached by the miscreants who posed as IRS agents. The prime targets for the culprits were immigrants, senior citizens or residents having difficulty in communication in English language.

The addresses of the tax payers are accessed online and fake calls are made using fake caller IDs of government offices.

The IRS officials said that asking for tax payments over the phonecall is not a common practice with them. Hence, in case of a phonecall from an IRS agent demanding payment on call, the residents must report the matter with the genuine authorities.

Also, sharing credit or debit card numbers should be strictly avoided over the phone. The officials said that none of the tax payers can be forced to make payment through a specific mode.

“Such scams have previously targeted seniors, newly arrived immigrants and non-native English speakers. Scammers have expanded their net and are now targeting virtually anyone,” read the release issued by IRS.