Marblehead Police Warn Residents About Fake IRS Scams

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead police are warning residents about several tax scams ahead of this year's filing season.

Chief Robert Picariello said common scams include false filings on behalf of residents, unsolicited calls from people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service demanding payment for a past due amount and unsolicited IRS calls asking for a deposit to be eligible for a stimulus check.

Residents unsure about a potential scam can contact the Marblehead Police Department at 781-631-1212.

The IRS will never request personal or financial information over the phone or use a third party to do so.

"Scam artists use filing season to prey on honest, hard-working taxpayers," Picariello said. "We want our residents to be aware of these potential scams, and know what steps they can take to stop them."

One common scam involves residents filing their taxes only to find someone has already filed in their name with their social security number. Residents can reduce the risk of this scam by filing early and not giving scammers a chance to file a false return.

The second scam involves a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS or other government agency demanding payment. The call may say that the resident is in danger of being jailed for non-compliance.

These scams will sometimes claim to be coming from a local police department — and have even been known to "mimic" a local police phone number to make it appear the call is coming from a local department.

Marblehead police do not, nor does any other department, enforce federal tax laws in any capacity.

Police said the latest scam involves a purported IRS agent calling and claiming a small fee is required to receive a government stimulus check. No government agency, including the IRS, requires anyone to pay anything to receive a stimulus check.

Residents are reminded that if they do owe back taxes information from the IRS will come via mail. The IRS does not request payment through email, phone call or text messages.

The IRS will not leave a prerecorded or urgent voice mail message on a home phone or cell phone.

The IRS will not request payments be made via pre-paid debit card, gift card, money order or a wire transfer.

Residents are advised to hang up and not engage with the callers in any way that opens them up to persuasion or reveals personal information.

The IRS can be reached directly with any questions, or to verify any information, at 1-800-829-1040.

IRS came calls can be reported here or through calling 1-800-366-4484. IRS "phishing" emails can be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov and should not be opened or links within the email clicked.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)