The IRS allegedly told one TikToker she had to pay up by Christmas. Viewers are skeptical about whether the letter is legit.
The IRS has warned that IRS-related scams experience an uptick during the holiday season. Forbes reported that these scams commonly include fake claims of an incoming stimulus check (another stimulus check has not been approved), falsely informing people that there’s something wrong with their tax return, asking people to pay with gift cards or by money transfer, and messages from fake charities.
However, these scams are usually done via email or text message (to get people to click a phishing link)—not physical mail like what this TikToker received.
Mandy’s (@ladymilipede) tale started with business as usual. Her dad came into her room to hand her some mail. The first time he did so, she received a sweet Christmas card for Mandy and her family.
But things took a turn when he handed her an envelope from the IRS. Mandy discovered the organization wants her to pay them $1,380.24 by Christmas Day.
“Am I supposed to be f*cking Santa?” Mandy questions. “Is this a f*cking joke?”
In a follow-up video, Mandy says that she’s going to need to “boss the f*ck up” to pay off the debt.
“I’ve never owned more than $1,000 at one time,” Mandy explains, adding that her net worth is negative due to her student loans. “…I think I can make $1,300. I’m gonna f*cking have to.”
Her initial video has over 840,000 views and well over 1,000 comments as of Monday morning.
@ladymilipede i dont think ive ever owned that much money at one time ever i guess its time to boss the fuck up #fuck #bossup #payme ♬ original sound – Milipede Mandy
“You should contact The IRS n make sure it is a legitimate bill, it could be a scam. n if is real then ask for a Payment deal,” the top comment read.
“Got one. Said I owe $4,000 got a lawyer. Come to find out they owed me money. They messed up not me,” a person shared.
“Go online and register with the IRS to get an online profile. It’ll show your current tax balance, you can also file for a payment plan aswell,” another added.
Despite several comments urging her to verify the letter from the IRS, Mandy has yet to share an update on the validity of the letter or her progress in earning the funds to pay the alleged debt.
The Daily Dot reached out to Mandy for comment via Instagram direct message.