Lifelong Oxford resident Donna Miller is warning area residents to beware of threatening phone calls from individuals claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
She received one on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
‘It sounded very much like a scam,? said the 74-year-old. ‘As far as I know, the IRS sends you a letter. They don’t call you.?
It all started with a call containing a recording of a woman’s voice she received before 8 a.m. The caller claimed to be from the IRS and stated it was ‘very important? that Miller call back ‘to keep from having action taken against? her.
Using her caller ID, Miller dialed the number, which was (585) 444-7131.
She talked to a man with a very heavy foreign accent who identified himself as Don Butler and claimed he was calling from the IRS office in Rochester, New York.
‘He asked for my name and then read me my address,? she said. ‘So, they have my name, my phone number and my address.?
Miller, who was born in a farmhouse and graduated OHS in 1958, couldn’t identify his nationality based on his thick accent, but she heard a man with a ‘similar sounding voice? in the background during the call.
‘It was so difficult to understand him,? she said. ‘I had to have him repeat everything two or three times.?
The one thing Miller understood very clearly was this man threatened her. He said they would be ‘filing a lawsuit? against her, but he didn’t explain why.
‘I didn’t give him much of a chance to,? she said. ‘I interrupted him and asked to speak to someone who speaks clear English. He hesitated a bit and then he said that someone would call me back in 45 minutes. Of course, no one did.?
Miller said it was a ‘scary call? and if she hadn’t been on her toes, ‘I might have fallen for it.?
She wants others to beware, so they don’t get scammed.
‘I’m just very concerned that people will fall for it,? Miller said.
This reporter called the aforementioned number a few times and spoke with a man who had what sounded like an Indian accent. He answered the phone ‘Internal Revenue Service? and said the office was in Rochester, New York, but he refused to connect this reporter with a supervisor when repeatedly asked. Instead, he kept hanging up.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Patterson, commander of the Oxford Township substation, said his officers have received some calls from citizens regarding IRS phone scams.
‘There’s been a few that I’m aware of,? he said.
His best advice is ‘unless you initiated the phone call or you know who you’re talking to, don’t give anybody any personal information over the computer or over the phone.?
‘When in doubt, discontinue contact and call (the IRS directly) that way you know who you’re talking to,? Patterson said.

How to recognize IRS scams*
Scams involving individuals claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are so pervasive that the federal agency discusses them at length on its website www.irs.gov
First and foremost, the IRS wants people to be aware that it always sends taxpayers a written notification of any tax due through the U.S. mail.
The agency never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone. The IRS also does not use e-mail, text messages or any social media to discuss personal tax issues.
Warning signs of an IRS scam include:
n Immediate payment is demanded with no opportunity to question or appeal the amount that’s said to be owed.
n A specific payment method is required.
n Credit or debit card numbers are asked for over the telephone.
n Threats are made to involve local police or other law enforcement agencies and have you arrested for not paying. After threatening victims with jail time, scammers hang up and someone else calls back pretending to be from local police and the caller ID supports their claim.
n Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They typically use common names and surnames to identify themselves.
n Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.
n Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number.
n Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear as though it’s the agency calling.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS and you either know you owe taxes or think you might owe money, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
If you receive a call and you believe it’s a scam, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.
* Source www.irs.gov