Be Wary Of Phone Scammers In Melrose

As is fairly common throughout New England, phone scams are on the rise in Melrose, according to a press release from the Melrose Police Department.

Specifically, citizens should be on alert for phone scammers pretending to be IRS “agents.”

These individuals may call demanding money be paid immediate via pre-paid debit card or wire transfer, and Melrose Police say they might be intimidating or insulting.

However, the actual IRS isn’t even allowed to behave in such a way. So if they ask for cash immediately, that’s a dead giveaway something’s amiss. 

It’s worth keeping in mind that once these scammers have an individual’s money, there’s probably no way to get it back.

“Anyone who receives a call like this should just hang up and not engage these scammers,” said Melrose Police Chief Michael Lyle in a statement. “Do not play into their request, no matter how convincing they may seem. Please immediately report this to the police department.”

Sign up for Melrose Patch newsletters and alerts here.