The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office
is advising the public to be aware of scam telephone calls from individuals
claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). With the April tax deadline approaching, the
Sheriff’s Office wants the public to be aware of a scam where individuals
posing as IRS agents, or law enforcement officials collecting debts on behalf
of the IRS, are calling citizens in attempt to extort money. The perpetrators will identify themselves as
either IRS Agents, or members of law enforcement and will inform the person
receiving the call they have overdue taxes and will demand the bill be paid
immediately. The caller will want the
citizen to pay the overdue bill either through a wire transfer or via a prepaid
debit card. In the event the person
refuses to pay, the caller will often threaten arrest or suspension of the
person’s driver’s license. Some of these callers may actually “spoof” the
telephone number of the IRS or local law enforcement, to appear legitimate, as
the number will show IRS or law enforcement on caller ID. In an effort to add
further legitimacy, the caller may provide personal information they were able
to obtain from public sources or social media. Warning signs of a financial
scam may include requesting payment immediately, agreeing to work secretly to
avoid embarrassment, or directing payment go through third parties or via
unconventional methods such as gift cards.
Citizens who have received scam
telephone calls may report them to the Treasury Inspector General
Administration (TIGTA) through its IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting web page at
https://www.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml. The IRS has information at www.irs.gov that can help citizens protect
themselves from tax scams of all types. If
you have any questions, or if you have been the victim of a scam, contact the
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office at (301) 475-8008.
