ANNVILLE, Lebanon County — Annville Township police received multiple complaints Thursday about residents getting phone calls from people claiming to be IRS agents. The caller claims residents will be arrested if they do not pay taxes immediately.
The calls are scams, police say. They advise anyone receiving similar calls to immediately hang up and provide no information.
Police remind residents that the IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill (this is true even with the use of private debt collectors).
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone
Don’t engage or respond with scammers. Here’s what to do if you receive a suspicious phone call or message:
- If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, and you do not owe tax, or if you are immediately aware that it’s a scam, don’t engage with the scammer and do not give out any information. Just hang up.
- If you receive a telephone message from someone claiming to be from the IRS, and you do not owe tax, or if you are immediately aware that it’s a scam, don’t call them back.
- If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be with the IRS, and you owe tax or think you may owe tax, do not give out any information. Call the IRS back at 1.800.829.1040 to find out more information.
- You can also contact TIGTA to report scam calls by calling 1.800.366.4484 or by using the “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” form on their website. You may also want to report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission by using the “FTC Complaint Assistant” to report perso ns pretending to be from the government; please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notesDon’t fall for the tricks. Keep your personal information safe by remaining alert.
