DC Police Warn Residents About IRS Scam

GEORGETOWN, DC — The Metropolitan Police Department is warning the public about a consumer scam where aggressive telephone calls are being made by scammers posing as Internal Revenue Services (IRS) representatives.

DC residents should be on alert for callers who demand immediate payment over the phone, as the IRS will never do that. These scam callers usually threaten arrest or prosecution if money isn't immediately paid.

Technology enables the scammer to “spoof” or alter the Caller ID to make it appear that the call is coming from legitimate law enforcement or IRS phone numbers, police said.

Most scammers originate from overseas using VOIP phone services such as Skype or MagicJack, which allow scammers all across the world to use a phone number with any area code they want.

Many times, these scammers will use a 202 area code to add legitimacy to their scam, police said, since the Metropolitan Police Department, Treasury Department and other Federal Agencies are headquartered in DC.

The IRS will never:

• Call and demand immediate payment, nor call about taxes owed without having mailed you a tax bill first.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a Greendot pre-paid card, or wire services like Western Union or MoneyGram.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

Police advise residents to immediately hang up if they get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS asking for money. Do not engage them in conversation or provide any personal information.

If you receive one of these scam calls, report the incident by completing this report online. Also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant”

If someone claiming to be an MPD detective calls you about taxes, you can call MPD at 202-727-9099 to verify or report the call. If you have further questions regarding this scam, please contact MPD’s Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit at 202-727-4159 or mpd.fraud-unit@dc.gov.

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