|
 |
Attorney General Mike DeWine
Ohioans Report
Surge of Tax-Related Phone Scams
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today warned that
his office has received more than 600 reports of tax-related scams
since Sept. 1.
The scams generally begin with a phone call telling consumers they are
in trouble with the IRS and must call an out-of-state number for more
information. Eventually consumers are asked for money.
In one recent variation of the scam, a consumer receives a call from a
“Steve Martin,” who claims to work for the U.S. Treasury Department. He
says the consumer is facing federal charges and must call a specific
phone number, often one with a 757 or 540 area code (Virginia). In
another variation, a recorded message warns the consumer that this is
the “final notice from the IRS” before a lawsuit will be filed.
Consumers who respond to the calls are instructed to send hundreds of
dollars using money transfers or prepaid cards, which are commonly
found at grocery or convenience stores. While most consumers do not
send any money, a few have reported losing hundreds or thousands of
dollars.
“Con artists rely on people becoming so nervous that they send money
right away,” Attorney General DeWine said. “If you receive one of these
calls, don’t respond and don’t send any money.”
Tips for consumers to avoid tax-related phone scams include:
Don’t trust threatening callers. If you receive an
unexpected phone call from someone who threatens to arrest you for not
paying taxes, be very skeptical, especially if you never received any
written notice. Also don’t trust someone who demands that you pay
immediately via wire transfer or prepaid card. These are preferred
payment methods for scam artists.
Don’t respond to illegal robocalls in any way. Don’t
interact with the caller, and don’t call a number left on your phone or
in a message. Responding to a scam call can result in even more calls
because it lets con artists know that your phone number belongs to a
real person.
Look into call-blocking options. Check with your
phone carrier and third-party services to determine whether
call-blocking services could help you stop unwanted calls. (Attorney
General DeWine has joined dozens of other attorneys general in
encouraging phone carriers to use call-blocking technology to help
consumers stop illegal telemarketing calls.)
U.S. Treasury or IRS impersonation scams can be reported to the
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at www.tigta.gov or
800-366-4484. Consumers also can contact the Ohio Attorney General’s
Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or 800-282-0515 for assistance.
Audio of a reported “IRS” scam call is available on the Ohio Attorney
General’s website.
|
|
|
|
