You’ve probably heard of what has become known as the “IRS Scam” or “IRS Impersonator Scam” where a scammer calls you pretending to be the Internal Revenue Service.

The scammer’s ultimate goal is to convince you that you owe money and that you must send payment immediately.

Your Better Business Bureau has recently become aware of two new variations of this scam. In one version, the scammer claims to represent the attorney general’s office regarding the “legal status of your account” and instructs you to call back a phone number beginning with a 435 area code.

In other cases, the scammer has claimed to represent the state department regarding tax fraud, and you are instructed to call back a number with a 410 area code to “prevent being arrested.”

These scammers often sound threatening and alter the caller ID. They might even use fake names and bogus identification badge numbers.

Be aware that these scams will become more and more prevalent the closer we get to tax day, and scammers may even come up with other variations. Keep the following tips in mind to help you avoid tax-related scams.

The government will never:

• Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice;

• Use unsolicited email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue;

• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe;

• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, iTunes card or wire transfer;

• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or

• Threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you receive this call, just hang up and do not call back. Visit bbb.org/scamtracker/northern-alabama/ to report a scam.