May 12, 2016
Threatening IRS Scam Phone Calls
Citizens of St. James Parish have made reports of phone calls received from scammers claiming to be representatives from the Internal Revenue Services (I.R.S.), with threats of an arrest warrant unless credit card numbers or prepaid debt cards are provided for payment. Below are some HINTS from the IRS website, that the Ì¢âÂÒIRS will neverÌ¢âÂå:
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Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
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Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe
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Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
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Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
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theaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you experience this type of phone call, please do not provide any of your personal identifiers (social security numbers, date of birth, your full name, etc.) to include any financial information (credit card numbers, the three digit numbers on the reverse side of your credit card, banking routing & account numbers, etc.), it is a SCAM. The phone number that appears on your caller ID has been spoofed, and is routed from outside of the United States border.
Threatening Calls on Arrest Warrant (SCAM) with St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office
May 12, 2016 a concerned citizen contacted the Sheriff’s Office regarding a Ì¢âÂÒcallerÌ¢âÂå claiming to be a Deputy from the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office with a warrant for their arrest, but to take care of the matter over the phone Ì¢âÂÛÏ just press the number 9 for payment instructions.
Ìâåá St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office will not discuss payments for an arrest warrant over the phone, to include directing you to press the number 9 on your phone, this is a SCAM.
Sincerely,
Captain Claude J. Louis Jr.,
Criminal Investigations Division
St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office