Medford Police Report Telephone Scams

MEDFORD, MA - Medford Police are warning residents of recent telephone scams. In one, scammers pose as IRS agents and threaten victims with audits and arrests. In another, they pose as family members and ask victims for money. Both methods have been used in attempted scams this week, police said.

"People have been calling homes and posing as IRS agents, telling residents that they owe money to the IRS or that they are going to audited or even arrested," said Captain Barry Clemente in a taped call to residents. "The resident is directed to transfer money to a Green Dot Money Pak or other similar card and then provide the number on the back of the card to the caller. The suspects then obtain the money, usually amounting to thousands of dollars. Please remember that the IRS does not place these types of calls requesting money in this manner. Also, the IRS will never ask for your Social Security number over the phone. When in doubt, hang up and call the IRS to verify the legitimacy of the call."

In the message, Medford police also warned residents of another scam that has resurfaced in which a person calling claiming to be a family member, usually a grandson or nephew. They claim to have been in an accident or in jail outside the country and need money to pay medical cost or to get out of jail, police said.

"Please do not fall for this scam. Never commit to send money to anyone based on a phone call," Clemente said. "Another successful method to avoid being a victim is to ask the calling party other family member names. They will usually hang up at this point. If you receive a call of this nature, the caller will state 'This is your grandson' and they wait for you to mention a name. Never volunteer a name for the caller to use."

If you have any questions, call the Medford Police Department at 781-395-1212.