IRS Phone Scam Makes Ossining Rounds

Ossining police say many residents are hearing about about the “IRS Scam” that’s going around.

“This is where someone “from the IRS” calls and says that you owe the government money and you better pay or someone from the World Famous Birdsall-Fagan Police & Court Facility is going to come and arrest you. The scammer tells you to pay via a prepaid card,” police described the scam on the Ossining Police Department Facebook page.

It’s easy to tell it’s a scam. The IRS:

• won’t call about taxes without mailing an official notice first
• won’t demand payment without allowing you room to question or appeal the amount
• won’t mandate you use a specific payment method
• ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone
• threaten to bring in local law enforcement to arrest you for non-payment

Remember, too, the IRS does not use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue.

The IRS asks people who are called by these criminals to report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov. Also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.

For more information on reporting tax scams, go towww.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box.