'IRS' Scam Hits Greenwich Residents, Cops Warn

GREENWICH, CT — Phone calls from someone pretending to be from the Internal Revenue Service have recently reached Greenwich residents, and local police are recommending you hang up if you receive one of the calls.

According to Greenwich Police Lt. David Nemecek, the department has seen an uptick in complaints of such calls, in which someone says they're from the IRS and demand payment, or the victim could (falsely) face arrest.

"The IRS WILL NOT contact you by phone with threats for non-payment of tax liability," wrote Greenwich police in a statement, adding that hanging up on the call is the best remedy. "The IRS DOES NOT require Green Dot, iTunes, Amazon.com, MoneyPak or any other kind of gift card or credit card for tax payment."

The United States Treasury Department has a specific unit that investigates what it calls "IRS Imposter Frauds" called, TIGTA, which stands for Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

Various IRS scams have proliferated in the state in the past year or so, prompting similar warnings from a host of law enforcement agencies.

Such scams can be reported online or over the phone to TIGTA: www.treasury.gov/tigta or (800) 366-4484 (Complaint Line). Additionally, residents can contact the Greenwich Police Department in the event of such crimes.

Image via Shutterstock

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