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Since You Asked: Increase seen in tax payment phone scams Thursday Aug 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM Seems like there's a new phone scam every month. I got one asking me to make tax payments using a gift card. Do you know anything about this? — Brian R., Medford   According to www.irs.gov, phone scams have increased, and scammers are changing their tactics. Previously calls came from a live person. Now people are receiving "robo-calls" leaving an urgent message to call back and settle a "tax bill." When a victim returns the call, "the scammers may threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license of the victim if they don’t agree to pay." In the most current trend, scammers are demanding payment on iTunes or other gift cards. Putting money on any type of gift card to settle a tax payment is a scam, according to the IRS. Some other scams include asking for payment for a "Federal Student Tax," pretending to be someone from the tax-preparation industry and "verifying" tax return information over the phone. Also be aware that the IRS will never call to request payment over the phone, threaten to bring in local law enforcement if you do not send payment, ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or require you to use a certain method for payment, such as a gift card. The best advice is to not give out any information and hang up. You can also report the call to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.