Morrisville residents are advised to guard against scam phone calls from thieves claiming to represent the IRS who are intent on stealing their money or identity. Criminals pose as the IRS to trick victims out of their money or personal information.

Identifying IRS Scammers

The Morrisville Police Department has provided these tips to help residents avoid being a victim of these scams:

Scammers Make Unsolicited Calls

Thieves call taxpayers without notice, claiming to be IRS officials. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through an automated voice message or through an email. When they reach a person, they demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. Often, they will ask victims to send a green dot card with the requested amount.

Scammers Use Scare Tactics

Many scammers posing as IRS officials use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport, or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get payment.

Scammers Use a Phony Caller ID

Scammers often alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address, and other personal information to make the call sound official. The Morrisville Police Department has received numerous reports that the department's office number is displayed on the scam call.

Scammers Try New Tricks All the Time

Scammers try new tricks to increase their odds of success and to avoid getting caught. Some will provide an actual IRS address where they tell the victim to mail a receipt for the payment they make. Others will use emails that contain a fake IRS document with a phone number or an email address for a reply. These scammers often use official IRS letterhead in emails or regular mail that they send to their victims. They try these ploys to make the ruse look official.

If you suspect that you may be dealing with a scammer, simply hang up immediately. DO NOT give out any information.

Official IRS Contact

One way you can spot scammers is to know what to expect if you are dealing with an official representative of the IRS. Remember, legitimate representatives of the IRS will NOT:

• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, the IRS will not require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for your credit or debit card number over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying. The Morrisville Police Department DOES NOT have the jurisdiction to enforce federal agency actions. We DO NOT deal with the IRS in this manner. We WILL NOT contact you by phone or email and ask or threaten you to send money to anyone.

Reporting IRS Scammers

If you do not owe any taxes, or do not think you do, you should report the phone call or other contact. You have the following options for reporting suspected IRS scammers:

• Call the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 800-366-4484 or contact them through their web page.
• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission by using their FTC Complaint Assistant on their website. Add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.

Additional information regarding IRS scams and other common scams, including immigration scams, can be found on the USCIS official website.