The Starkville Police Department is warning those in the community to be aware of potential phone scammers posing as representatives of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady said dispatchers have received at least 16 calls concerning a IRS phone scams.
“We would like to remind our community that government agencies will not call and demand personal information, payments, etc.,” Lovelady said. “Scammers will also typically threaten the victim with incarceration or issuance of warrants for noncompliance. If you believe you have been scammed please contact your local law enforcement agency.”
The Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) says Americans have lost more than $23 million by giving out information and money to scammers impersonating the Internal Revenue Service.
TIGTA officials also say scammers often use a fake telephone number and fake area code, before demanding immediate payment and threatening arrest or deportation.
The IRS will generally make first contact via letter and will never demand immediate payment or threaten force.
If you suspect you have been contacted by an IRS scammer, submit an incident report with TIGTA at www.tigta.gov. or call the TIGTA hotline at 1-800-366-4484.