Recently, multiple Maynard residents are reporting telephone scams. The caller claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and demanding immediate payment for past taxes that are overdue. The caller will ask for payment to be made that day, either by mailing a money order, providing bank account information, or credit card information.
The IRS will always send taxpayers a written notification of any tax due via the U.S. mail. The IRS never asks for credit card, debit card, or prepaid card information over the telephone.
Posted on the IRS website are multiple advisories regarding a variety of scams. Some characteristics of a scam include:
- Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names to identify themselves
- Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number
- Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling
- Scammers may send bogus IRS emails to a victim to support their bogus call
- Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site
- After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, you should:
- Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and they can assist you with payment options, if you actually owe back taxes
- If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes, then call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.
- Always contact the Maynard Police Department and an Officer will assist in determining if you are being targeted in a scam.
Lastly, be aware there are a variety of similar scams, such as lottery sweepstakes that are also fraudulent. If you are unsure, contact the Maynard Police Department and we can assist with determining the validity of the solicitation.