Scammers Pretending To Be IRS: Brookhaven Police

BROOKHAVEN, GA -- With the tax-filing deadline coming up next month, local law enforcement agencies are warning about scammers trying to get you to depart with your money.

The Brookhaven Police Department said Tuesday on Facebook that residents should be wary about a particular IRS scam, which is being done over the phone and especially targeting recent immigrants. The hoax is works like this:

A scammer calls you on the phone and tells you that you owe the IRS money. They tell you that they'll accept a wire transfer or pre-loaded credit card, according to a poster shared by the Brookhaven police.

The notices look real, but the IRS says the tell-tale way to know it's not from them is that the agency will never contact you by phone and ask for your personal data. Furthermore, the agency said that it would never reach out to residents via email or social media, which is how many people are reached in this scam. Also, the IRS would never ask you to pay using a wire transfer or pre-paid debit card. Finally, the agency would never use threats of arrest or deportation to get you to pay up.

The Brookhaven police have a simple message for those targeted by such scams: "Please stay vigilant and never do unsolicited business over the phone."

Here are five other scams to be aware of around metro Atlanta.

Image via Facebook / Brookhaven police