Crime & Safety
Police Warn Of Telephone Scam In Area
This info should be particularly shared with senior citizens, who are often targets, authorities said.
LOS ALTOS, CA – The Los Altos Police Department is warning residents of an IRS and U.S Treasury telephone scam circulating in the area.
"Phone scams continue to be a serious issue and we would like to urge residents to be alert and informed in order to avoid being a victim of a scam," the department said. "It’s also important to share this information with your loved ones, especially older adults who tend to be frequent targets."
"Currently, IRS and US Treasury phone scams are making the rounds," police said.
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Here are some quick reminders from IRS.gov:
The IRS will never:
· Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
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· 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.
· Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to believe that you do:
· Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
· Contact TIGTA to report the call at 800-366-4484 or use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page athttps://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml
· Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” at https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.
If you know you owe, or think you may owe:
· Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.
Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.
Also see: Marshals Service Warns Of Jury Duty Phone Scam In Bay Area
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