Oak Forest Police Warn of IRS Phone Scam

The Oak Forest Police Department has received numerous reports about an ongoing telephone scam in which someone calls claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service.

In many cases, the caller has a foreign accent and tells victims that they “could face a lawsuit or imprisonment if they don’t send money for a ‘delinquent’ tax bill.”

Residents should know that initial contact by the IRS is always by mail and, in most cases, multiple certified letters. The IRS never makes contact with citizens by phone.

The fraudulent callers inform the victims of a “tax deficiency” or other made up offense and threaten imminent arrest, foreclosure, deportation or other dire consequence unless the victim makes immediate payment using pre-paid GreenDot debit cards, MoneyGram or other forms of payment.

Residents are cautioned to never, ever send any kind of payment.

The caller, who often becomes hostile during the call, will then try to get personal information in order to steal the victim’s identity. The IRS will never contact individuals by phone or email or ask to verify personal information.

The Oak Forest Police Department cautions residents to never give out personal information like birth dates, social security numbers or bank account numbers over the phone or via email.

Residents who receive calls from unfamiliar numbers are encouraged to let the calls go to voice mail. The call may have originated from another country and be made to look like it came from a phone in the United States. The most recent numbers associated with the fraudulent IRS calls have been 202-476-0697 and 202-492-3938.

Residents who are targeted may file reports with the Oak Forest Police Department. Additional information about IRS scams is available online at www.irs.gov.

—via City of Oak Forest