IRS Scam Is Back, AARP And Police Warn

AARP and several area police departments are warning residents that scammers are back in action posing as someone from the Internal Revenue Service.

But this latest scam includes a twist: the caller is mimicking the AARP on caller ID reports to make it appear the calls are legitimate.

The AARP posted a warning about the scam on Facebook, saying the calls to New Jersey residents are coming from a number using the 973 area code, and the caller gives his name as Dennis Grey. The man claims to be with the IRS or the U.S. Treasury and tells intended victims that the IRS has levied a fine that must be paid or the person will be arrested.

“The name showing up on caller ID is ’AARP,’ ” the post says. “Please be advised, these calls are NOT legitimate. They are in no way connected to AARP or to the IRS.”

The AARP urges people who receive the calls to report it to them on their Fraud Watch page and to authorities as well.

If someone calls claiming you owe money to the IRS, keep the following in mind:

The IRS won’t demand payment of tax debt over the telephone. It won’t threaten to have you arrested by the police for not paying; it won’t demand that you pay without giving you the ability to question or appeal how much you owe; the IRS won’t require that you pay using a specific method, such as a prepaid debit card, and it won’t ask for credit card or debit card numbers over the phone.