The Bristol Police Department is warning residents about an IRS scam occurring throughout the city.
According to a press release from the Bristol Police Department, officers received numerous complaints from residents who received a phone call from an individual claiming to be an IRS agent or an automated phone message from the IRS, claiming they owed fees for late taxes. Residents would be threatened with arrest if they did not pay the late taxes, the release said.
In the release, the police department reminded residents that the IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment or call about owed taxes without first mailing out a bill.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you an opportunity to question or appeal the amount that it says you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, including 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 arrest you for not paying.
Residents should never give out any information over the phone and hang up immediately, the release said.
To report the scam, residents can call the IRS at 1-800-366-4484. For more information, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.