Tax time means it’s time for citizens to be on the lookout for Internal Revenue Service phone scams. Several such incidents have popped up in the area, prompting the city of Tracy to warn citizens to be on the lookout.
The scams usually involve phony calls from people pretending to be from the IRS, claiming the people owe money and must pay immediately to avoid being arrested. Another variation is the fraudulent caller tells the citizen that they are due a refund in an attempt to trick them into providing personal information.
Some scammers have even left messages saying that it’s “urgent” that they call back.
The IRS has noted that its employees will never call to demand immediate payment, nor will they 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, ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
Tracy Police advises residents to never give out personal information or send money to someone claiming to work for the IRS during an unsolicited phone call.
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