Scammers posing as IRS targeting Arizona taxpayers
Nov 3, 2014, 8:29 PM | Updated: 8:29 pm
PHOENIX — The Internal Revenue Service is warning Arizona taxpayers about a growing tax scam.
“Unfortunately, there are individuals that are here in Arizona, here in the metropolitan area that have received these calls,” said Bill Brunson, spokesman for the IRS.
Brunson said aggressive scam artists are calling people and claiming to be from the IRS. They notify the victim that they owe taxes and must pay immediately.
“Individuals are receiving unsolicited phone calls from tax scammers who say to the person who picks the phone up that, ‘you owe federal taxes … that you need to pay those taxes today, and you need to pay those taxes with a prepaid debit card,'” said Brunson.
As part of the scam artists’ pushy and aggressive tactics, victims are told that if they do not pay immediately they will be arrested by their local police department, Brunson said.
Scammers are evening going so far as to make it appear that the call is coming from the IRS.
“If you receive one of these aggressive calls out of the blue where somebody is demanding you to pay money today, hang up on them,” he said.
If people receive a call and are unsure whether it is legitimate or not, Brunson said they should call the IRS or visit any of the three IRS offices in the Phoenix metro area.
