Police warn of IRS phone scam
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office reported that they received approximately 25 phone calls last Friday alone from people who say they’ve been contacted from someone claiming to be from the IRS or the Treasury Department
In each case, the caller tells them they owe money to the IRS and they must pay promptly through a pre-loaded debit card, credit card or wire transfer, or they could face jail time. The callers are especially aggressive and threatening. In one instance, a caller told a resident if they didn’t pay their IRS bill at that moment, they would send federal agents to their front door to collect.
Authorities remind citizens to keep in mind that the IRS will never:
• Call to demand immediate payment.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in law-enforcement to have you arrested for not paying.
They request that citizens inform their family and friends about this scam so they can be prepared in the event they receive a call like this.