You can be sure of one thing if you get a call from the IRS: It’s not the IRS.
Sheriff Jake Sheriff said an increasing number of Yazoo County residents are falling victim to a scam where they are contacted by someone who claims to be an employee of the Internal Revenue Service.
“The way the scam works is that they will call you at home and tell you that you owe money,” Sheriff said. “They try to put you under pressure by claiming there could be penalties or even jail time if you don’t pay the money immediately.”
Another version of the scam is to trick the victim into thinking they are entitled to a large refund, but first they need to share their banking information so the money can be transfered to their account.
Sheriff said the IRS never contacts anyone by telephone to discuss taxes. All communication from the IRS is through the mail.
The IRS provided The Herald with the following list of things the organization will never do:
* Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
* Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
* Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
* Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
* Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
