The Rock Springs Police Department is warning the community of IRS scammers during the passing of tax deadlines.
In recent weeks, the Rock Springs Police Department has received numerous reports from people that have received phone calls and voicemails from a caller who claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS.
The scammer claims that the people they call owe back taxes, are under investigation with the IRS, or are being sued by the IRS. The scammer tells the intended victims that they must pay their debt by using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer.
According to the IRS, the callers often use common names, fake IRS badge numbers, know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security Number, and makes the caller ID appear as if the IRS is calling.
From a news release issued on April 13th, 2016, the IRS says they will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
The Rock Springs Police Department is urging citizens to hang up immediately if they receive a call similar to this.
If you have questions about whether the phone call is a scam, please call local law enforcement or visit the official Internal Revenue Service website at https://www.irs.gov/.