Maryland Taxpayers Warned of Call Threatening Arrest

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A new round of an income tax scam has provoked a warning by state officials: Don't believe it if someone calls threatening to arrest you for failure to pay Maryland taxes.

State Comptroller Peter Franchot says his office is investigating two suspicious phone calls that supposedly from the comptroller’s office and threatened arrest if the resident didn’t pay his tax bill. Agents are looking into the phone numbers provided by the taxpayer.

“If anyone calls you asking for personal information or worse yet, threatening you with arrest, don’t respond and hang up immediately,” Franchot said in a news release. “The staff of my agency would never treat Maryland taxpayers that way. These crooks are trying to scare you by taking your money and stealing your identity. They are shameless, unscrupulous predators trying to destroy your financial sanctity.”

Neither the Comptroller’s Office nor the Internal Revenue Service calls taxpayers and ask for personal information or Social Security numbers, authorities said.

In the spring officials warned that some Marylanders had received a call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent who said a routine audit determined the resident owe an additional tax payment and an arrest warrant had been issued. To keep from being arrested, residents were told to pay part of the amount using pre-paid debit cards.

The IRS said in March it had seen an estimated 400 percent surge in phishing and malware tax scams so far this year.

The Comptroller’s Office warns taxpayers not to reply to emails requesting confidential information, especially a Social Security number, birth date, salary information or home address. If you receive an email asking for a copy of your W-2 form, you should immediately contact your employer. You also may call 1-800-MD-TAXES or email mdcomptroller@comp.state.md.us.

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