Staff writer
Tax season is over, but scammers are still looking for a way to get a piece of people’s refund. A Marion resident last week received a call from a man claiming to be from the IRS.
Police said the phone call was threatening, and scared the resident, which prompted the call to the police. The resident contacted police before making an over the phone payment to the person.
Police say when they tried to contact the scammer they were unable to get the scammer to talk.
This is the first report of such a scam Marion police have received, but expect with the conclusion of tax season, that more residents could receive calls. Such calls have been reported in nearly every state. According to an IRS statement, the agency will never ask customers for credit card numbers or to pay money over the phone.
The scammers call and claim residents owe them money that must be paid urgently via a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. Victims who refuse to cooperative are threatened with arrest, if still refused the caller becomes hostile and insulting. According to the IRS, if residents refuse to pay, the scammer will hang up, and other scammers will call back shortly after pretending to be from the local police.
The IRS recommends if residents think they owe back taxes and receive a call to contact the IRS at (800) 829-1040 to verify. Residents who receive calls and know they owe nothing should report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at (800) 366-4484 and visit https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1 and file a complaint.
The IRS does not contact residents by e-mail, text, or social media to request personal or financial information.