State Police Warn of Tax Scams for 2015 Season

As the 2015 tax filing season approaches, the Pennsylvania State Police have advised residents to be vigilant of an increase in threatening telephone calls and tax scams.

The Pennsylvania State Police report threatening phone calls by individuals posing as IRS agents or other government officials are still one of the most popular methods used in tax scams. These scam artists will often threaten residents with arrest, deportation, license revocation and other penalties, the state police said in a press release.

Police said if anyone calls without notice claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service and threatens penalties if you don’t pay immediately, it’s a scam artist.

This type of tax scam is an ongoing issue for Pennsylvania residents, as criminals have been able to alter their telephone numbers to appear as if they are calling from the IRS. Additionally, the scam artists often use fake names and IRS badge numbers. The criminals often prey on the elderly and those whose first language is not English, state police said in the release.

State Police provided some tips on how to protect against these telephone scam artists. According to police, the IRS will never:

• Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

For more information, read the entire press release from the Pennsylvania State Police.