Full Notification

Residents should be aware that of a telephone scam that has resurfaced in our area. The telephone scam typically involves a caller who purports to be an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) representative. Using intimidation tactics, the caller tries to take control of the situation from the beginning. The caller advises the recipient of the call that the IRS has charges against them and threatens legal action and arrest. If the recipient questions the caller in any way, the caller becomes more aggressive.

The caller continues to intimidate by threatening to confiscate the recipient’s property, freeze bank accounts, and have the recipient arrested and placed in jail. The reported alleged charges include defrauding the government, money owed for back taxes, law suits pending against the recipient, and nonpayment of taxes.
The recipients are advised that it will cost thousands of dollars in fees/court costs to resolve this matter. The caller creates a sense of urgency by saying that being arrested can be avoided and fees reduced if the recipient purchases moneypak cards to cover the fees within an hour.

Sometimes the caller provides specific instructions on where to purchase the moneypak cards and the amount to put on each card. The caller tells the recipient not to tell anyone about the issue and to remain on the telephone until the moneypak cards are purchased and the moneypak codes are provided to the caller. The caller states that if the call is disconnected for any reason, the recipient would be arrested. Some recipients reported once the caller obtained the moneypak codes, they were advised that the transaction took too long and additional fees were required.
Call recipients reported that the caller spoke with broken English or stated the caller had an Indian accent.

Also be aware that many times phone numbers can be manipulated through various Internet programs and the phone number that shows up on you caller ID may not be the actual phone number the subject is calling from. Many times the scammer will “spoof” the phone number so it appears to be from a legitimate source.

Many times the scammers are located overseas and are not completely familiar with our system of government or customs. Pay attention to the information the caller is providing to you and report any “red flags” to the Point Pleasant Police Department. A recent caller identified themselves from the “IRS Department”. When the recipient questioned the caller advising that it is referred to as the IRS or the Internal Revenue Service, the scammer hung up the phone.

If you receive a call similar to this follow these tips:
- Resist the pressure to act quickly.
- Do not provide any personal information to anyone you are not familiar with.
- Ask if you can call them back and obtain a return phone number.
- Contact the Point Pleasant Police Department to file a report.
- Report the contact to TIGTA at http://www.treasury.gov/tigta by clicking on the red button, “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting.”
- Use caution when asked to use a specific payment method. The IRS would not require a specific payment method such as a moneypak card or wire transfer.
- File a complaint at www.IC3.gov- IC3 is the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center and also provides information on the latest scams and Identity Theft incidents that are occurring.