Tax season is here, and there’s been a phone scam going around for several months that involves perpetrators claiming to work for the IRS, asking people to pay back taxes.
The caller sometimes asks if the person will purchase a prepaid debit card and load it with money. Another method scammers use is requesting a wire transfer to a bank account.
In Philadelphia, police have issued a warning about a major scam involving at least one person who has been calling and leaving threatening voicemail messages, according to Fox News.
The anonymous caller says ignoring it would be seen “as an intentional attempt to avoid initial appearance before a magistrate judge.”
The caller then asks the person to verify their name, social security number, date of birth, and then says its “an IRS situation.”
Police say that if one gets a call similar to this, one should hang up the phone and send a scam report to Treasury.gov.
Gene Wren of Durant, Oklahoma, said he recently got a similar call asking for money.
He told a local paper, the Durant Democrat: “They said they had a warrant for my arrest for back taxes I owed.” And he told the person on the other line: “Where is your office here in Durant, I'll come and talk to you.”
Two women in New Jersey were also recently victimized by the IRS scam, reported a local New Jersey station.
