The first week of the new year brought a particularly aggressive Internal Revenue Service scam to town, with residents complaining to police that the supposed IRS caller was threatening them with arrest. One person said the supposed IRS told her there was a warrant for her arrest within two hours.
“The scammers call taxpayers claiming to be IRS officials and demand the person pay a bogus tax bill,” said Capt. Jeffery Kreitz, spokesman for the Police Department. “The callers will usually request that the victim pay the bill with a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The scammers may use threats of arrest and bullying tactics in an attempt to get the victim to pay.”
The police reminded the public that the real IRS will never:
Call you to demand immediate payment; call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail; demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe; require that you pay your taxes a certain way — for instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card; ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone; threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying, or contact you via email.
The public can report an IRS impersonation scam at 800-366-4484.
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