BATH
Police are warning the public that another IRA phone scam is circulating.
The office of the Maine Attorney General issued a warning Friday about the scam calls that have spiked in the last day or two and provided a press release it released in December when IRS scams previously spiked.
“Scammers posing as IRS officials call and say you owe taxes,” the release states. “They threaten to arrest you, or deport you, or revoke your license, or even shut down your business if you don’t pay right away. They may know your Social Security number — or at least the last four digits of it — making you think it really is the IRS calling. They also can rig caller ID to make it look like the call is coming from Washington, DC.”
“No governmental agency or legitimate business will call you up and demand an immediate payment by credit card, wire transfer or by pre-paid debit card,” said Attorney General Janet T. Mills. “If you receive one of these calls, do not answer any of their questions. Hang up the phone immediately.”
The AG’s Office has heard from about 75 people Friday who reported receiving a call like this.
Bath Police Department noted on its Facebook page Friday that it has received numerous reports of residents receiving call from people claiming to be the IRS.
“DO NOT ANSWER THE DEMANDS! Hang up!” the warning states.
Bath Police Lt. Robert Savary said the scammers, which are usually based out of the country, have the ability to manipulate caller ID systems so it appears they are calling from Washington, D.C., for example.
Savary estimated the department has received around 10 IRS scam complaints in the last couple days, which is an uptick.
“Just hang up on them,” he said. “The IRS isn’t going to call you and make threats.”
Savary said it is usually the elderly who are targeted because they often don’t know how these scammers work.
“We’ve had folks who have given them money, usually over wire transactions and once that money is into the system, it’s impossible to track them,” and to find who is on the other end of the transaction. Local police rely on the federal government to investigate these kind of scams.
“If you have family members or neighbors, people you think might be duped, maybe just help them out and forward them our link or do what you can to spread the word,” Savary said.
The IRS has tips to avoid scams on its website and notes the IRS will not:
• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.
For more information visit IRS.gov and click on the tax scams alert link.
Report IRS impostor scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) online or at 800-366-4484, and to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.
If you have questions about these or other consumer matters, contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Maine Attorney General’s Office at 1(800) 436-2131 or consumer.mediation@maine.gov.
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