The Chico Police Department has dealt with several cases recently regarding a phone scam, during which a caller claimed they were from the IRS.
The top five scammer states currently are (in order): California, New York, Texas, Florida and New Jersey. Scammers have taken more than $6 million from Californians, $2.3 million from New York residents and more than $1 million from each of the other states.
The victims said to investigators that they were told they were the subject of a lawsuit because of not paying taxes. They were told that in order to avoid additional fines or even arrest that they must immediately pay. In other cases, police said the scammers persuaded victims to disclose personal information.
The IRS recently distributed an article about these scams and how the public can avoid them. It addressed the surge in these calls, which threatened anything from arrest to court fines unless the victim paid the demanded amount.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration announced that there were more than 5,000 victims who have paid over $26.5 million due to the scam this year.
The article noted some clues that can help filter out a scam, such as demanding immediate payment, asking for credit or debit card information, or threatening to bring in law enforcement for arrest. The legitimate IRS would not do any of these.
People who get a phone call from someone that claims to be part of the IRS and is asking for money are advised to hang up immediately and not give out any personal information. Instead, they should contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484, or report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
By Michelle Finn
By Michelle Finn
 |
| Photo Credit: Steven Depolo, Flikr Creative Commons |