Plainfield PD Warns Of IRS Call Scams

PLAINFIELD, IL — The Plainfield Police Department is warning residents of scam callers who are claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service and swindling people out of money.

Detective Sgt. Kevin McQuaid told Patch that they received two reports last week.

"This is not the first time we have received reports like this. This is a common type of phone scam," he said. "We have a documented incident in which a resident falls for the scam and is out thousands of dollars."

He said the scammer on the phone will make up a story such as unpaid taxes or the victim’s name and social security number being used in a crime, and demand the victim makes payment immediately or risk being arrested by the United States Marshals Service or another law enforcement agency.

They will direct the victim to withdraw money from their bank and load it onto gift cards, transfer it via a wire transfer or load it into Bitcoin. The victim will be required to provide all the necessary information in order for them to access the money immediately.

"This is a scam," McQuaid said. "The IRS, U.S. Marshals Service or any other law enforcement agency will not contact you via telephone and demand immediate payment for anything. If someone receives a phone call from a person claiming to be from the IRS, they should hang up the phone, and they can report it to the IRS via the IRS website. If they do end up being scammed out of money, they should report that to their local police department."

The scammers use apps that spoof numbers to make it look like an actual call. A person may see their caller ID show IRS or their local police agency and think it’s a real call, when in actuality, it’s the scammers, McQuaid said.

In the past, the IRS has provided a list of five things they will never do:

• Call to demand immediate payment, nor will we call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• 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 or Bitcoin.
• Ask for credit/debit card numbers or bank account information over the phone.
• Threaten to bring local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

"We continue to try and educate our residents about the scam and the steps to take to prevent them from becoming a victim," McQuaid said. "Unfortunately, the majority of the time, these scammers are located in other countries, and we are unable to identify them."

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