Scam…
Claiming to be IRS!
In Big Bear Valley, Thieves
pretending to be from the
Internal Revenue Service
Calling Victims Demanding Immediate Payment $$$$
The
Big Bear Sheriff of the San Bernardino
County Sheriff Department continues to receive numerous reports of a
telephone scam wherein callers falsely identify themselves as representatives
of the IRS and make demands for immediate payment of back taxes with Green Dot
or other prepaid debit cards. These thieves use the IRS name to try to steal
money or identities from targeted victims.
The
scammers can be persuasive on the phone and sometimes use the threat of being
audited, sued, or even arrested to trick their victims into transferring funds
to them or providing personal information that is later used in identity theft
cases.
Culprits
of this scam are also leaving voicemail messages stating that a lawsuit will be
filed and directing the intended victim to contact the IRS at a bogus telephone
number. The telephone number is not always the same. If you receive this type
of message, do not call the number, as it is part of the scam.
Tips from the IRS to help
you avoid being a victim of these tax scams.
The IRS will
not:
· Initiate
contact with you by phone, e-mail, text or social media to ask for your
personal or financial information.
· Call you about taxes you owe without
first mailing you a bill.
· Call you and demand immediate payment.
· Require that you pay your taxes via
prepaid debit card. Be wary if you get a phone call from someone who claims to
be from the IRS and demands that you pay immediately, especially if you don’t
owe taxes or have no reason to think you do. If you are not sure if you owe
taxes, call the IRS directly at (800) 829-1040 and a legitimate IRS employee
can help you.
The Big Bear Sheriff encourages families to
talk to each other, especially elderly members, to make them aware of this and
similar scams so that they do not fall prey and become victims.
Stay alert to
scams that use the IRS as a lure. Incidents can be reported to your local law
enforcement agency or on the IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting page of the
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at www.treasury.gov
Big Bear
Sheriff Station is located at 477 Summit Boulevard in Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
The
Sheriff's phone number to report incidents, 909-866-0100.