Recent Spike in Internal Revenue Service Scam Calls
IRS Scam Phone Call
FYI – This is the actual voice mail left by the scammer and consumer comments posted regarding the scammer-provided call back number can be found at the following link:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-369-8791
(Woodland, CA)- August 22, 2014 – Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig is warning residents to be wary of fraudulent telephone calls from people posing as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) representatives. In the current scheme, the callers claim that an arrest warrant has been issued by the IRS for unpaid or delinquent taxes, and that unless a fine is paid immediately, the victim will be arrested. The IRS imposters sound very official and the scam is very well executed. Recently, there have been numerous concerned Yolo County citizens who have contacted the District Attorney’s Fraud Unit to report being contacted by these scammers.
The official sounding “IRS Warrant” is designed to frighten recipients into responding quickly when they are upset and not thinking clearly. As with most scams, the con artists are either trying to scare the victim into “wiring” money or trying to get a hold of personal information like a Social Security or Credit Card number. The IRS will always send taxpayers a written notification of any tax due via the US mail. The IRS never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone.
If you suspect a call like this is a scam: 1) Never provide any personal information and never “wire” any money; 2) Verify the identity of the caller by requesting an employee identification number and: 3) Call the Treasury Inspector General Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 and report the attempted scam. Also, never hesitate to ask a trusted friend or advisor for help before responding to any such suspicious calls.
According to DA Reisig, “The complexity and frequency of these types of scams has been increasing dramatically over the last several months. Nobody is immune from being targeted by these persistent crooks. The best defense against becoming a victim of such a scam is knowledge and vigilance.”
For more information about this and other types of scams or to report suspected scams to the Yolo County District Attorney, please call 855-4-YOLO-DA or visit YoloDA.org.
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