CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Multiple Clarksville Police Department (CPD) phone operators have been taking several complaint calls about scammers posing as IRS Representatives calling citizens saying that they owe the IRS money.

Several of the complainants stated that the scammer had a thick foreign accent. The scammers go as far as to say that they will take out arrest warrants if the debt is not paid.

One caller stated that she told the scammer she knew this was a scam. In an attempt to “prove” that he was a legitimate IRS Representative, the scammer was able to tell the potential scam victim her accurate address. This will confuse some potential victims and is just one of many tactics the scammer will use to try to make you believe his or her story.

There are five main signs of a scam:

1. The IRS only deals with people through the mail, no use of electronic media for contact or payments, you will receive a “case sensitive number ” as identification.
2. The scammer already knows the victim’s personal information. It is easy to get through social media and hacking.
3. The IRS does not give time countdowns for payment or immediate criminal penalties.
4. If the scam comes through the mail, the IRS does not misspell words, use foreign euphemisms that an American would not understand
5. The use of any Wire Service Payment is a BIG RED FLAG.

“I have followed and studied these scams for nearly 16 years. I call them need and greed scenarios, usually. The ‘Spanish Prisoner’ scam is different as it preys on fear and emotion. Everybody has a fear of the IRS, EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG!” Officer Jay Skidmore said.

The numbers the scammers use tend to be USA looking phone numbers which are leased from huge servers located from off – shore island nations. They share the same country code ( 1 ) as the USA. There are millions of these numbers. The area code is added (ie 931) and you have a “local looking” number.

The IRS will not call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail. HANG UP and call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to check the legitimacy of the call you received.

The following information was pulled from the IRS website:

“Callers try to scare their victims. Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.

The IRS will not:
• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.

If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:
• Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
• Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.

If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax:
• Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.

Phone scams first tried to sting older people, new immigrants to the U.S. and those who speak English as a second language. Now the crooks try to swindle just about anyone. And they’ve ripped-off people in every state in the nation.

Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.

Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.”