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According to police, the department has received “numerous calls” in the past week from residents reporting to have been targeted by the scammers.
“The scammers call taxpayers claiming to be IRS officials and demand the person pay a bogus tax bill,” police said in a statement. “The callers will usually request that the victim pay the bill with a prepaid debit card or wire transfer.”
Police said the callers might employ “bullying tactics” or make threats of arrest while trying to force a victim into paying. So far, none in Ridgefield have fallen for the scam, according to the department.
According to Ridgefield police, the IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment
- Call about owed taxes without first sending a bill in the mail
- Demand payment of taxes or prevent the questioning or appeal of taxes owed
- Require that taxes be paid in a certain way – using a prepaid credit or debit card, for example
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone
- Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to make an arrest
- Contact anyone via email
Additionally, police said that personal or financial information should never be given out over the telephone.
Anyone who receives a call from someone asking about such information should hang up immediately, according to police, who said that telephone messages left about the same topic should not be returned.
Incidents of IRS impersonation can be reported to the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) online or by calling 800-366-4484, police said.
Anyone who needs assistance in reporting the incidents can also call Ridgefield police at 203-438-6531.
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