With the IRS tax season well underway, the South Pasadena Police Department is warning of a common scam that targets vulnerable residents during this time of year.
“This type of scam continues to be popular throughout the year, but especially now with the tax deadline soon approaching,” the SPPD said in its March newsletter.
The scam starts with a suspect calling a victim and claiming to be from the IRS, then telling the victim they owe money for back taxes and demand immediate payment. They request the victim to pay in either prepaid debit cards, wiring funds or by crypto currency.
Police said the suspect will often become aggressive and threaten the victim with arrest if they don’t immediately comply. To help make the scam believable, the suspect may know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security Number, provide a badge number, claim to have a police officer on the line who verifies the story, or have their phone number spoofed to display “IRS” on caller ID.
“The IRS will never call and demand payment for back taxes, and the local police will not come to arrest you. If you believe you owe for back taxes, contact the IRS directly and obtain the number from the IRS website. Should you receive a call from anyone claiming to be from the IRS demanding payment, hangup,” the SPPD said.
The police recommends that if anyone believes they have been a victim of this scam, file a complaint online at the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration website at tigta.gov.
First published in the April 4 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
