Update: IRS Phone Scam Still Ongoing - Madison Police

Earlier today, Patch reported that the Madison Police Department is warning residents to be on the look out for an IRS scammer who is calling local residents from a 202 area code today. Now, Madison PD is reporting that the scammer is calling from multiple area codes.

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

“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 they might be a victim of such scams, contact the Madison police department at 973-593-3000.