Madison Police: An IRS Phone Scammer is Contacting Madison Residents Today

This afternoon, the Madison Police Department reported that local residents are once again battling an IRS scammer who is calling Madisonians from a 202 area code. Police warned residents about the scam by using the hashtags #itsascam and #justhangup on the Madison Police Department’s Facebook page.

“We have received numerous complaints today regarding an IRS scam from a 202 area code,” Madison Police stated today. “This is a scam. Do not respond to the phone call.”

According to Madison Police, telephonic scams such as this one have led victims to send money to the scam artists on the other end of the line.

When an almost identical scam plagued Madison residents in September, Madison Police offered these tips for avoiding the scam.

“The best thing to do in such situations is to hang up the phone, delete the email and ignore the requests,” a representative from the Madison Police Department stated.

During the large majority of IRS scams, the perpetrator will contact the victim and incite panic by stating that the individual owes money on their taxes. The scammer will pose as an IRS agent and threaten to have the victim arrested if they do not immediately pay while on the phone. According to Madison Police, the victim will then be urged to wire money using a Green Dot MoneyPak card and pin numbers.

“We are asking residents who experience any requests for money to not give into panic and wire or give account information over the phone or email,” the Police Department added. “For example, the IRS never would contact a taxpayer over the phone and demand payment. They always correspond via regular mail. These predators seem to prey on the elderly and somehow obtain personal information about their relatives.”

Residents should note, that if you fall prey to the scam, the money is non-recoverable. If you or someone you know feels that they might be a victim of such scams, contact the Madison police department at 973-593-3000.