State Police Urge Residents to Be Vigilant of Aggressive Scams

State Police are warning residents to beware of phone scams that appear to be on the rise.

Dispatchers and Troopers from around the state have been contacted by concerned citizens about unusual phone calls they have received, State Police said in a release.

The phone calls are from people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), cable company or banks.

Some of the callers claiming to be from the IRS tell the residents that the IRS is applying for an arrest warrant for the individual unless they pay thousands of dollars.

Another call received claimed to be from a company offering installation of free solar panels. When the resident agreed to this, the caller claimed to need the resident’s Social Security Number and bank account numbers.

A caller claimed to be from a cable company, offering half-price premium cable service if the person arranged for a pre-paid credit card.

In addition, a resident received a call from an alleged mortgage company asking the person to refinance their mortgage and asking the person to verify banking account numbers.

Some scammers ask the person to deposit a check they provide and then wire the money from that account.

State Police in a statement remind consumers that the rule remains the same: Never, never, never provide critical private information over the phone. If the IRS, your bank or other agencies want to contact you, they will do so in writing. Your bank account numbers, Social Security Numbers and other identification numbers should be kept completely private.

Some callers insist that consumers make a decision and provide private information immediately. Resist these calls by simply hanging up. Citizens need to be pro-active in minimizing the chance that they will be scammed.

These types of phone scams seem to occur more frequently at this time of year when consumers are trying to save money during the busy holidays and may not completely understand what information they are giving out to complete strangers.

Hang up on any suspicious calls and report them to the State Police or your local law enforcement agency.