Privatizing Debt Collection-IRS

The IRS is now sending letters out to taxpayers whose longtime unpaid tax debts are being farmed out to authorized private debt collection firms. 
Scammers, no doubt, will take advantage of this, so here’s what to watch for. The IRS will notify you and your tax representative first by letter. That letter will include the name of the firm you'll be dealing with, along with the firm's contact information. Then the firm will send its own letter confirming that it will handle your case. To protect the taxpayer's privacy and security, both the IRS letter and the collection firm's letter will contain information that will help identify the tax amount owed and assure that future collection agency calls they may receive, are legitimate.
 You should never be asked to send payment to the firm or to anyone other than the IRS or U.S. Treasury. 
Anyone calling and demanding immediate payment by prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer -- or asking for your credit card or debit card number -- is a fraud. Hang up.