KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — It’s tax season, and that means scammers are back in full force trying to convince victims over the phone they’re the Internal Revenue Service.
A particular scam is not going away, where a convincing caller is telling victims they owe back taxes and, if they don’t pay right now, they’re going straight to jail. They either want it paid using a Western Union wire transfer or a prepaid card — that’s the tip off its not for real.
Spokesman Luis Garcia said the IRS does almost all of its business by mail.
“They IRS is never going to ask you buy a Green Dot card and put money on it,” Garcia said.
He says the callers have “IRS” on their phone ID and can be extremely intimidating and convincing.
“In some cases, they know their social security number,” Garcia said. “It’s really kind of scary stuff, just how much information they have.”
They may follow up with another phony call, claiming to be from local police or the immigration service to convince you they’re the real deal.
Police agencies in Kent and Van Buren counties are reporting a rash of complaints. Victims are being urged to call 911 immediately.
A similar scam is also taking place, with the caller on the other end of the line claiming they’re from the Michigan Department of Treasury.
– John McNeill
