PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT MONROE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE JOHN CARY BITTICK, SHERIFF FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 16, 2015 Several Monroe County residents have contacted the Monroe County Sheriffs Office recently to report a phone scam that is also occurring nation-wide. Would-be thieves, identifying themselves as employees of the IRS, are calling from numbers that typically show a Washington, D.C. location on Caller ID saying that they are making notification of taxes due. Typically, if the call is not answered, they will leave a message with an urgent call back request. The callers also inform the victim that the call serves as a final notice and that the taxpayer could be faced with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or drivers license for failure to pay the demanded amount. The scammers tell the victim that the money owed to the IRS must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. The scammers also may attempt to trick the victim into sharing private information. Note that the IRS will never: 1) call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; 2) demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; 3) require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; 4) ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or 5) threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying. If you have been a victim of such a scam, you may contact the Monroe County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigations Division at 478-994-7043. More information about this scam and others can be found at irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 22:47:27 +0000
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