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The scams involve a call from someone purporting to be with the IRS, claiming back taxes are owed and that an arrest or lawsuit from the agency is likely if they remain unpaid. Oftentimes these callers will direct people to put money on a Green Dot Moneypak card and read the number over the phone, which is all they need to get the cash, Ramapo Det. Lt. Mark Emma explained.
“Once that money is sent, you’re never getting it back,” Emma said.
The most recent variation of these scams that popped up in Pomona is an automated call from a 202 number that informs people the IRS plans to file a lawsuit due to unpaid back taxes unless a call is returned to that number.
Back in February these phone scams topped the IRS' "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams ahead of the filing season. Some calls may demand payment while others may inform people they are entitled to a big refund.
In some instances these calls come from a fake, “spoof” number, Emma said.
An influx of these calls is nothing new, as is the advice the Ramapo Police Department provides in how to deal with these calls: do not send the money, hang up the phone, and notify the police.
“The IRS does not operate like that, plain and simple,” Emma said.
More information on these scams can be found here.
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