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Clark County sees surge in IRS impersonation phone scam calls

If the target is not already convinced, several callers are able to report the last four digits of the person’s Social Security number.

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The number of fraudulent phone calls has increased this week from callers claiming to be from the IRS.

Mississippi County, Missouri, Sheriff Keith Moore is warning folks about an IRS phone scam he says is targeting bootheel residents.

It all starts out with a phone call.

The call, said village police Detective Capt. Forest Lyons, was from an individual who identified himself as a representative of the United States Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Unit. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

Victims are told they owe money to the agency and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer.

“Please do not pay anybody over the phone, by computer, anything you might see suspicious, do not give anybody money without verifying it”, said Jason Stefaniak, Uniform Division Chief, Mishawaka Police Department. It threatens to take you to jail or arrest you if you don’t pay your back taxes.

Officials are advising those who receive this call to hang up without providing the caller with any information.

“With technology, anything can show up on caller ID”.

A few of the calls will come from an worldwide number. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers.

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Even she received one of these calls. All initial contact from the IRS will be through direct mail.

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