News Flash

LEGISLATOR MUSCARELLA WARNS RESIDENTS TO 

AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF IRS PHONE SCAMS

Nassau County Legislator Vincent T. Muscarella is joining with the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs and the Nassau County Police Department to warn residents to beware of any phone calls from con-artists claiming they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Beware of Phony IRS Phone Scams & Shake Downs

Beware of any unsolicited calls, texts or emails that you may receive from someone claiming they are from the IRS. Many times, they often try to trick you into sharing private information and even alter the caller ID so it looks like the call is coming from the IRS office in Washington. In addition, these scam artists threaten to have police arrest you or even threaten to foreclose on your home if you don’t cooperate. The IRS will never employ any of these tactics. The IRS has formal procedures in place to resolve tax issues.

Watch out for these signs of a scam: 

• The caller demands immediate payment! – the IRS will never call about taxes owed without first mailing you a bill and giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount

• Require that you use a prepaid debit card or iTunes card for your payment

• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone

• Threaten to have you arrested for non-payment of taxes

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what to do: 

• File a complaint by calling the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP or by going online:

Go to “Scams and Ripoffs”; “Imposter Scams”. Make sure to include the words “IRS Tele-phone Scam” in the notes.

• If you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS directly to verify at 1-800-829-1040