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Attorney General Mike DeWine
DeWine Warns of
Uptick in IRS Scams
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today warned that
his office logged about 600 reports of “IRS” scams in June, more than
in any other month this year.
The scam generally begins with a call claiming the recipient is in
trouble with the IRS and must call a certain phone number to avoid
arrest or legal action. People who respond to the call are asked to pay
immediately, typically by purchasing a gift card and reading the card
numbers over the phone.
Overall, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has received more than
1,800 reports of the scam in 2017. Most consumers haven’t lost any
money, but some have reported losses ranging from $100 to over $5,000.
“No one wants to get a call saying you’re in trouble with the IRS,”
Attorney General DeWine said. “Scam artists rely on that fear and
surprise. We just remind people that the real IRS isn’t going to call
you unexpectedly and demand that you pay immediately over the phone.
The best thing to do, if you’re getting these calls, is to hang up.”
Con artists may tell people an arrest warrant has been issued in their
name, that they’re receiving a “final notice” from the IRS, or that
they will be prosecuted for tax fraud if they don’t pay. The calls may
appear to come from a Chicago (773) area code number, a Washington D.C.
(202) area code number, or a variety of other phone numbers, but
generally the calls are placed over the internet and the number that
appears on the consumer’s caller ID does not reveal the true origin of
the call.
To avoid phone scams:
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.
Avoid making payments over the phone. Don’t trust someone who demands
that you pay immediately over the phone using a gift card or prepaid
card, or who demands that you send a wire transfer. These are preferred
payment methods for scam artists. The real IRS won’t demand that you
pay using one of these specific methods.
Don’t respond to calls from unknown numbers. Don’t interact with the
caller, and don’t dial the number left on your phone. If the caller
leaves a voicemail claiming to be from the IRS, don’t call the number
left in the message. Instead, if you’re concerned you may owe a tax
debt, call a number you know belongs to the IRS.
Don’t rely on caller ID. Scam artists can make it appear as if their
calls are coming from a local number or from a 202 (Washington D.C.)
area code number, even when they are located in another country.
Check 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.
Report potential scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at
www.OhioProtects.org or by calling 800-282-0515.
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