Southeast: Sheriff's Office Warns of Local IRS Phone Scam Targets

Recently, investigators at the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office have received complaints from county residents reporting that they have been on the receiving end of a phone scam from con artists purporting to be agents from the Internal Revenue Service.

Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has again issued a warning to the public concerning telephone calls being made claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in an effort to defraud them.

In some of these cases, it’s a robo-call telling the victim the IRS was going to be filing a lawsuit for money ostensibly owed to the government.

Officials remind everyone receiving a phone call from anyone purporting to be from the government—demanding money or threatening a lawsuit, arrest, deportation or loss of a business or drivers license—that this is not the standard protocol of any agency.

These calls should be viewed as a fraud.

In the past, con artists have used other agencies such as cable companies, public utilities and law enforcement agencies. The pattern is that the caller demands immediate payment of an alleged debt, and demands that the money be paid using Green Dot cards.

According to the Inspector General, the callers who commit this fraud often:

• Use common names and fake badge numbers.
• Know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security Number.
• Make caller ID information appear as if the IRS is calling.
• Send bogus IRS e-mails to support their scam.
• Call a second time claiming to be the police, department of motor vehicles, and the caller ID again supports their claim.

“There are numerous scams aimed a defrauding the public,” said Smith. “We must always be vigilant is protecting our identities.”

The Sheriff’s Office is investigating these scams with the assistance of state and federal agencies.

If you have made any payments or have become a victim to this type of scam, please notify your local police department.

The IRS asks people who are called by these criminals to report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 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.

Remember, too, the IRS does not use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue. Forward suspicious e-mails to phishing@irs.gov

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