DEARBORN, Mich. – In the final weeks of the busy tax season, the Dearborn Police Department says there's been an increase in reports of fraudulent IRS calls.
Although the warning comes from Dearborn police, everyone should be on the lookout for these potential scam artists.
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Dearborn police are warning residents to be cautious of callers claiming to be law enforcement officers or agents with the IRS. In these cases, the caller claimed the targeted victims were late in their tax payments and under threat of prosecution and arrest. Then, the caller instructed them to purchase a pre-paid debit card, like a Green Dot, in order to repay the taxes.
Police said that in each incident, the caller concealed their phone number so that it appeared calls came from law enforcement or the IRS.
What you need to know
Residents need to know that law enforcement agencies and the IRS will NEVER request payment of any kind via telephone.
If you are asked to provide money or personal information to someone over the phone, you should ask for a call-back number and contact your local police department to authenticate the caller's identity.
If you believe you are a victim of a similar IRS scam, contact your local law enforcement agency or the IRS to report the incident.
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