The Nampa Police Department says it has seen a surge in the number of automated Internal Revenue Service phone scams calls local residents report receiving.
“Over the last few weeks, we have been notified by members of our community that they have been receiving these scam phone calls,” said Nampa Police Sgt. Tim Riha. “Unfortunately, some of those citizens reporting these scams have become victims before figuring out that they were scammed out of their money.”
The automated message asks for an “urgent call back” from taxpayers -- and generally claims to be the “last warning about settling a tax bill.” The call may threaten to have the victim arrested or revoke a driver’s license. The latest trend: scammers are asking taxpayers to purchase iTunes gift cards to settle their tax bill.
The Nampa Police Department is reminding everyone that the IRS will never:
--Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, especially without first mailing out a bill.
--Threaten to bring in local police to have you arrested for not paying.
--Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a pre-paid debit card, gift card or wire transfer.
--Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
“I have personally received several of these phone calls over the last couple of months,” Riha stated. “The best way to handle these types of phone calls is to just simply hang up. Do not give out any personal information.”
Bogus calls can also be reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Federal Trade Commission via their websites.
