Yesterday, the Edmonds Police Department and Lake Stevens
Police Department both issued separate warnings about IRS scammers calling
citizens in their respective cities.
According to Edmonds police, a caller identifies himself as
an “IRS agent,” and that the person answering the phone owes back taxes and
needs to pay them immediately. They will be arrested if they don’t. The “agent”
wants the victim to buy a Green dot card and to read the card number and the
PIN in order to pay.
Edmonds police also reminds people that you might receive a “grandparent”
scam call where a caller claims that a relative is in dire trouble and if you
don’t pay they will be thrown in jail.
The IRS will not call you demanding immediate payment for
back taxes. Nor will a legitimate police agency or sheriff’s office demand
immediate payment to keep a relative out of jail.
Also, today, there were several reports on Woodinville
social media of residents receiving calls from an “IRS” scammer. So scammers
are alive and well trying to scare you out of your money posing as IRS agents.
While these scams are serious, here is a funny call recorded
on YouTube. This is what happens when an “IRS” scammer calls a police department.
The cop even tried to give a geography lesson:
Finally, if you are not familiar with the psychology of
scammers, here is a short article from the Better Business Bureau about how
they work and what you can do to avoid becoming a victim:
Edmonds Police Department:
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