In response to a complaint Thursday the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office is issuing a warning to the public about fraudulent IRS (Internal Revenue Service) phone calls. Scam callers are altering their caller ID number to make it look like they’re calling from an actual IRS office threatening people to pay owed money with a reload or prepaid credit card or be arrested. Once they make their threats, the scammers will call back and again disguise their caller ID so it appears they are calling from a police department asking you to “turn yourself in” claiming the IRS just faxed a warrant for your arrest. Beware – this is a scam that is happening locally.
The IRS offered several tips to help recognize the scam:
• The IRS does not call to demand immediate payment, nor does the agency call about taxes owed without mailing a bill first.
• The IRS does not demand payment without giving the resident an opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
• The IRS does not require a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card.
• The IRS does not ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• The IRS does not threaten citizens with arrest for nonpayment.