Beware IRS threats by phone.
Police and area residents are reporting that scam artists pretending to be IRS agents are making phone calls in an attempt to get money.
Shelly Kidd, Groveland Township deputy treasurer, said she began receiving complaints from residents about two weeks ago.
‘They say the IRS is calling them and threatening them with lawsuits,? said Kidd. ‘I advise them not to call back.?
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Greg Glover agrees with this advice and said residents of Brandon Township are also receiving these bogus phone calls.
‘These scams are going on all over the place,? he said. ‘The IRS will send you certified mail or if they did call you, they would direct you to come to a federal building. They would not try to get you to give them money over the phone.?
Kidd shared a recorded message she also received recently on her cell phone, with a woman’s voice saying she needed to call the IRS.
Glover, as well as the Michigan State Police are instructing residents who receive such calls to not call the number given, nor to ever share personal information, such as a credit card number or checking account numbers over the phone.
According to irs.gov, the official Internal Revenue website, the IRS will never call about taxes owed without first mailing a bill, would not demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal amounts you supposedly owe, nor would you be required to use a certain payment method. Agents would not ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or threaten to have you arrested for not paying. These are all signs of fraud.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and requesting money, report the incident by calling 1-800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov