IRS Phone Scam

     The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is notifying its citizens that telephone scam attempts have been on the rise during February and March. “It is amazing of some of the new angles these criminals are using in trying to get personal information from people,” said Sheriff Wayne Youell. “Everyone should keep their guard up anytime when dealing with solicitors and always avoid giving any personal information over the telephone. It most likely will save you a lot of grief in the future.”

     About a week ago, a man who represented himself to be affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service called a senior citizen and stated that he owned $4000 in back taxes. Described by the senior citizen to be a smooth talker, the con artist warned the man of the severe consequences the government has for people who choose not to make the tax payment. The swindler told the senior citizen that he would help him through the ordeal and promised to get him back in good standing with the federal government without penalty. After befriending our senior citizen, the caller asked the man to provide his birth date, social security number, bank account number, and the bank account routing number to allow for easy withdrawal. The senior citizen was wise enough to recognize that he was being scammed, refused to give any information, and hung up the telephone.

     Also, citizens in the Havana, Easton and Mason City areas have reported receiving calls from people representing themselves to be from a company that helps people secure their bank accounts from scams. During the conversation with the targeted person, the scam artist first gains the confidence of the intended victim by being pleasant and he or she promises to help the person safeguard their bank account from future scam attempts. After feeling that they have convinced the victim that everything is legitimate, the caller asks the targeted person for their social security number, birth date, bank account numbers, and bank routing numbers. The swindler tells the person that all this information is necessary in order to scam-proof their bank accounts. In reality, when the requested information is provided, the criminal uses the information to not only steal the person’s identity, but also withdrawals all or a portion of the victim’s money from the bank.

     As always, if you feel you have been selected as a target of a scam or have actually been a victim, contact your local police or the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. “Law enforcement wants to get as much information about these new scam attempts so we can warn and help prevent others from becoming victimized,” said Youell.

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