Recently, Morongo Basin residents have been receiving phone calls from someone who claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service. Managing editor Tami Roleff says don’t fall for these scammers who say you owe money…
The phone rings, and the caller says he is from the IRS and that you owe taxes, and if you don’t pay up immediately, the IRS is going to file a lawsuit against you or will send the police to your home to arrest you. Don’t fall for this increasingly common phone scam. The IRS never initiates phone calls demanding payment immediately; do not call them back and do not send them any money.
Amy Nofziger with the AARP says the IRS will never involve the police or ask for money to be wired.
“The IRS will never require that you use a specific payment method, such as prepaid debit card, wire transfer, money order. We’ve even heard of scammers asking for people to go and get gift cards.”
If you think you are the victim of a tax scam, report it to these sources:
*To report someone impersonating an IRS employee , contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 or www.tigta.gov.
*For cases of identity theft involving state taxes, contact the California Franchise Board at 916-845-3669 or https://www.ftb.ca.gov/online/Fraud_Referral/index.shtml?WT.mc_id=Featured_Report_Fraud
