VISTA–The Vista Sheriff’s Station has been receiving calls and complaints from people who have received telephone calls or messages from people claiming to be from the IRS.
These con artists are aggressive and will scare victims with a lawsuit or threaten them with an arrest if they don’t pay. They may know a lot about their victim and alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. Deputies are telling residents to hang up if they receive such calls.
The IRS will never:
•Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not 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.
If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:
•Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
•Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
•Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
If you know you owe, or think you may owe taxes call the IRS at (800) 829-1040. IRS workers can help you.
For more information, visit https://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Urges-Public-to-Stay-Alert-for-Scam-Phone-Calls.
