Apr 13, 2015 By Suzanne Elliott 2 min read

The deadline for filing federal income tax is here and the Peters Township police say they are getting flooded with reports from residents who say they are getting threatening telephone calls from the Internal Revenue Service, or they are telling police someone has filed a tax return under their name.

Peters Police Chief Harry Fruecht said it is important for people to remember the IRS mostly does business through the mail and not on the telephone. To date, the police have received more than 25 IRS-related complaints from residents.

“The calls say the person owes money and they are coming to arrest them,” said Fruecht, adding that the caller tends to have an Indian accent.

On its website, www.irs.gov, the IRS lists five ways to identify whether a call purported to be from the agency is legitimate. The IRS never demands immediate payment and will not call about any taxes owed unless first sending a bill. The agency will not demand payment of taxes without first giving the call recipient the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed. It will never ask for a specific payment method, like a prepaid debit card, and will never ask for credit or debit card numbers over the telephone. It will also never threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement agencies.