Vestal Police Warn Residents to Watch for IRS ‘Phishing’ Scam

The Vestal Police Department say they've received complaints from residents who report that they've received phone calls from someone claiming to be with the IRS. This is a 'phishing' scam and a very common one at that.

The way the scam works is that the scammer will alter their phone number so that it shows up on your caller ID as the IRS or as a Washington DC based phone number. The person will tell you that as a result of an audit, you owe money and face possible criminal charges. Then, the scammer will try to talk you into sending money or providing personal information that they can use to steal your identity.

The Vestal Police remind you that if you get a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS who is asking for payment, hang up the phone right away. The IRS doesn't call taxpayers. The real IRS will reach out to you through mail. The real IRS will never call to demand immediate payment. They also won't call about taxes without mailing you a bill first. In addition, the IRS won't demand you pay taxes without giving you a chance to question the amount they say you owe, require a specific payment method for your taxes, ask for your credit or debit card number or threaten to send local police to have you arrested for not paying.

If you've suspect you've been a victim of this IRS phishing scam, you can call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 or you can file a complaint here.

If you get an email that claims to be from the IRS, forward it to phishing@irs.gov. Do NOT open any attachments in the email because it could contain malware that can infect your computer and give scammers access to your personal information.