IRS Phone Scam Hits Long Valley, Police Warn

LONG VALLEY, NJ — An IRS phone scam is making the rounds in Long Valley, and police are warning residents not to fall for it.

The caller will claim to be from the IRS, and will say “you owe money for back taxes.” They'll then instruct you to get a "prepaid credit card," load money on it, and give the caller access to the credit card. If you don't, the caller says Washington Police will arrest you.

That's just not true, police say.

Even though caller ID might say "IRS" or might have a Washington, D.C. area code, it's still a scam. The callers can change their caller ID to hide where they are really calling from, police said.

"The Internal Revenue Service never demands or request money over the telephone. No matter how persistent or convincing the caller may appear, residents are urged not to provide money, access to accounts or obtain debit cards which can be accessed by the caller," police said.

Not sure if you owe taxes? Hang up, and call the IRS back at an official number.

Here are five things the IRS 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.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

Image via Shutterstock