IRS phone scam reported in North Port

NORTH PORT, Fla.- The North Port Police Department wants to warn residents of a possible phone scam.

The caller claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service and usually tells the victim they or a family member has failed to pay taxes for previous years.

The caller claims they have been trying without success to get in contact with them to resolve the remaining balance. The caller will then divulge how much is owed and tell the victim that if they do not pay immediately, the police will arrive at their house with an arrest warrant.

Police say the caller will only allow the person to pay over the phone through some type of money transfer service like Western Union, Money Gram, Walmart 2 Walmart or Green Dot prepaid cards.

North Port Police Economic Crimes Detective Herbert Stewartson says there are other signs to look for.

“The scammers will always be high pressure and use an emotional trigger to get the victim out of a rational state of mind. Typically the fear of arrest.”

The IRS has some recommendations as to how to handle suspicious IRS calls.

1. Record the employee’s name, badge number, call back number, and caller ID if available.

2. Call 1-800-366-4484 to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you.
· If the person calling you is an IRS employee, call them back.
· If not, report the incident to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and at phishing@irs.gov (Subject: ‘IRS Phone Scam’)