Home » IRS Tax Scams Reported in Hopewell and Lawrence Townships

IRS Tax Scams Reported in Hopewell and Lawrence Townships

by Mary Galioto

Both Hopewell Township Police Department and Lawrence Township Police Department have issued statements to the public regarding numerous reports from residents indicating that they have received fraudulent phone calls from people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service.

According to the Hopewell Township Police Department, the residents are told that they owe money to the IRS and they must make prompt payment by using a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. They are also advised that if they fail to make the payment they face having their driver’s license suspended or risk being arrested. 

Lawrence Police has been made aware of IRS Scam phone calls from 636-253-2774. Do not call them back or provide them with information.

According to the IRS website, the IRS will never: 1) call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; 2) demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; 3) require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; 4) ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or 5) threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS but you suspect they are not an IRS employee:

  1. Record the employer’s name, badge number, call back number and caller ID if available.
  2. Call 1-800-366-4484 to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you.
    • If the person calling you is an IRS employee, call them back.
    • If not, report the incident to TIGTA (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration) and to the IRS at [email protected] (Subject Line: “IRS Phone Scam”).

Residents that feel like they are possibly being scammed are urged to contact the their police department before providing any personal information or payment to someone claiming to be from the IRS. More information concerning IRS tax scams can be found at www.irs.gov.

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