The Midland Police Department is warning citizens to be aware of ongoing phone scams by callers claiming to work for the Internal Revenue Service.
Midland residents continue to report receiving calls that claim to be from the IRS, and Midland police wants to remind citizens to never provide personal information over the phone.
Individuals who receive a call they believe to be a scam should promptly hang up and report the incident to the Midland Police Department at 432-685-7108.
The following are signs that a call claiming to be the IRS is actually a scam. According to the IRS, the agency will never call you and request the following:
- Immediate payment without having already 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.
- 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.
The IRS encourages citizens to contact the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report IRS scams by calling 800-366-4484 or visiting www.treasury.gov/tigta.