Phony IRS Calls are Back

Making the rounds again are swindlers impersonating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents.

The Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office has fielded multiple calls in the last few days from citizens complaining of calls from the “IRS” demanding immediate payment or personal information.

“Be on guard, and don’t let these hustlers get your information or money,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement. “These are out-of-country calls, so there isn’t much we can realistically do, except be educated and wary.”

Note that the IRS will never: call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
For more information, or to report a suspected scam, go to: https://www.irs.gov/.