From The Bell County Sheriff's Department
The Bell County Sheriff’s Department via dispatch has answered complaints in regard to an older IRS scam that has returned to the area.
The caller claims they are from the IRS and that there is an overdue tax debt. They caller then states that the would be victim can make the payment stopping an arrest by a green dot card or a payment over the phone.
Sheriff Mitchell Williams encourages you to never, ever give out personal financial information - such as Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords - to anyone who calls you, claiming to be from the IRS.
IRS impersonation scams continue year-round and that they tend to peak when scammers find prime opportunities to strike. These scammers will be aggressive and use threatening phone calls while impersonating IRS agents, and the scams remain a major threat to taxpayers.
Here are some things scammers, but never the IRS, often do. Any one of these four things is a telltale sign of a scam:
• Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes. • Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying. • Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed. • Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
If you feel that you have been a victim of this scam please contact Bell County Dispatch at 606-337-6174 to file a report.