46°
The police have been sending out Citizen Alerts on this scam for the last few years, and also created a flier last year with Mayor Mike Spano's office to help educate the public about this scam and others like it.
These impostors usually target elderly residents or recent immigrants. At times, the callers will also identify themselves as utility company representatives or Immigration officials.
Federal authorities have indicated to Yonkers police that this is a national fraud being committed across the country.
One of the numbers that has been used recently has been identified as (509)-392-4127. A Google search of this number revealed that many have complained about this number and the IRS fraud. The bogus caller will operate with a sense of urgency, raise his or her voice and threaten the intended victim with an assortment of consequences including a lawsuit or jail.
The police department will continue to assist federal authorities in this ongoing investigation into this fraud.
Tips On How To Combat This Fraud:
- Write the phone number down and do some research. Try a Google search of the number, or ask a family member or friend to assist.
- Take no immediate action; the caller will try to intimidate the victim into making an immediate payment. Hang up and write down the number if possible. The IRS never asks for a credit card number over the phone. The same is true for pre-paid cards and wire transfers. A real IRS employee will not ask this over the phone.
- Notify the IRS on its website. If an e-mail is involved, you can e-mail the suspect’s e-mail to phishing@irs.gov. Never click on an embedded link associated with a suspect’s e-mail.
- Call the Yonkers Police Department at Communications Division at (914)-377-7777 and ask to speak with an officer. The Detective Division Financial Crimes Unit can be reached at (914)-377-7732. Residents can also call the mayor's Helpline at (914)-377-HELP.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Yonkers and receive free news updates.
