Please be wary of any phone calls or emails that you may receive from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding your tax situation, especially at this time of the year. International students and scholars are often targeted by anonymous individuals alleging to be individuals working for the IRS, or government officials, in an attempt to extort money from them. This is considered a scam or dishonest act.
The IRS website describes common Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts that could affect you.
Protect Yourself!
U.S. government officials will NOT contact you asking for money or personal information such as a Social Security Number, bank account information, credit card numbers, date of birth, or passport numbers. If a caller asks for these things, stay calm and do not give out any personal information and do not stay on the phone with the scammer. If you receive a phone call or email you can report them to the IRS.
Login to your UT Direct account to make sure your home address and contact information are set to private so that they will not be displayed publicly on the UT Website. You may also restrict your information online through UT Direct.
Remember: never give out personal information or money to someone who calls you unexpectedly or threateningly!
If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at intltax@austin.utexas.edu