Senator Collins Applauds DOJ Crackdown on IRS Impersonation Scam Fraudsters

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, applauded the work of the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, which recently resulted in the conviction of 21 members of a massive India-based fraud and money laundering conspiracy that defrauded thousands of U.S. residents of hundreds of millions of dollars.  Three other conspirators were sentenced earlier this year for laundering proceeds for the conspiracy, in which scammers impersonated officials from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 

Officials say the fraudsters threatened victims with arrest, imprisonment, fines, or deportation if they didn’t immediately pay money allegedly owed to the federal government.  Often, this money is collected via debit or gift cards or by wire.

“As Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, one of my top priorities is preventing fraud and scams targeting older Americans, who lose nearly $3 billion a year to these criminals,” said Senator Collins. “I applaud the Department of Justice and other agencies for cracking down on these crimes and for sending a strong message that criminals who prey on vulnerable Americans will be caught and prosecuted.  We must continue to do all that we can to bring awareness to this issue and to help prevent anyone from falling victim to these crimes.”

The IRS impersonation scam is the most reported scam to the Senate Aging Committee’s Fraud Hotline.  If you or a loved one have been targeted or have been the victim of a scam, call the Committee's Fraud Hotline toll-free at 1-855-303-9470.