The Suffolk County Police Department has issued a warning to residents to be cautious of an IRS phone scam, in which perpetrators are pretending to be IRS employees looking for unpaid taxes. Officials reported a recent incident, in which a resident received four calls during the course of two days with a recorded message,claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service.
The message asks residents to contact a provided number. Threats of lawsuits for failing to pay taxes and demands for very specific personal information to stop the lawsuit were then asked of the resident after the call was transferred to an unidentified male voice. In addition to the threats, the IRS Phone Scammer asked for a fee to be paid in order to stop the lawsuit.
The Suffolk County Police would like to remind all residents to be aware of the scam tactics. The IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment, nor call about taxes owed without first having mailed a bill.
- Demand that taxes be paid without giving a taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
- Require you to use a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement enact an arrest for non-payment.
The Suffolk County Police Department advises residents not to give out any personal information during the call. If you feel that you have been a victim of the IRS phone scam, you are advised to call 911 to report the incident to police.
For further information on scams, please visit www.suffolkpd.org and click on the Scam Alert icon.