IRS phone scam targets Bethel Park residents
Bethel Park police said there has been an increase in a common telephone scam where the caller tells the person at the other end of the line that he is an Internal Revenue Service agent and there is a possible warrant for their arrest.
“They use a common surname and fake IRS badge numbers to represent themselves as a legitimate agent,” said detective Lance Mattes of the Bethel Park police. Mattes said the IRS uses the U.S. mail for any correspondence concerning past due accounts.
According to the IRS.gov website, callers know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number, they then send bogus IRS emails to support the scam and can make caller ID appear as if the IRS is calling. They also tend to call a second time claiming to be the police, or the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Mattes said the IRS won’t ask for payment of back taxes using a pre-paid debit card, or wire transfer. Plus, the IRS won’t ask for a credit card number over the telephone.
Mattes said anyone getting a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment should hang up and call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. Those who don’t owe taxes should hang up and report the telephone call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484. The call can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov.
“Be alert for phone and email scams that use the IRS name,” Mattes said. “The IRS will never request personal or financial information by email, texting, or social media.”