LISTEN: IRS Phone Scam Message and How it Targets Connecticut Residents

By TIM JENSEN (Patch Staff)

Scammers purported to be calling from the IRS were quite active recently, prompting state and local police agencies to issue warnings to residents via social media.

"The IRS is NOT calling you threatening a lawsuit, arrest or demanding a tax payment. That's a SCAM," the Connecticut State Police posted on its Facebook page.

Police ask citizens to note that the IRS will never:

• Call to demand immediate payment over the phone or call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

Photo by Sky Noir, via flickr creative commons