IRS Telephone Scam

The Tehachapi Police Department is warning the community of several IRS Scam’s that have recently been reported.

In these scams, the caller places a phone call to the potential victim and alleges they are calling from the Internal Revenue Service. The victim is told they owe money to the IRS and they could have criminal charges filed against them or even be arrested if they do not pay. Often times the victim is asked to make payment through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer.

The goal of the scam is to obtain personal identifying information from the victim and/or money. The caller claims an agent from the IRS or the local police department will come to their residence to collect the money or take them to jail. If the victim refuses to cooperate with the caller, they can become hostile and insulting.

Many people fall victim to these scams as the caller can alter their phone number and make it appear as if they are actually calling from the IRS or the Tehachapi Police Department. Victims often believe the calls are legitimate and send money or provide personal identifying information to the caller.

A few things to keep in mind:

1) The IRS will not call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.

2) The IRS will not demand you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

3) The IRS will not require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.

4) The IRS will not ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

5) The IRS will not threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

For anyone who receives an email claiming to be from the IRS, the email can be forwarded to [email protected]. Do not open attachments in the email as they can contain malware that will infect your computer.

To report a scam, victims are urged to contact the Tehachapi Police Department at 661-822-2222 or you may contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484, or file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov.

More information on IRS scams can be found at http://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts