New Canaan police say a town resident received an unsolicited call from someone saying they were an IRS “officer” with a warrant for the resident’s arrest.
Such calls are a scam designed to extort money, Chief Leon Krolikowski said in a press release.
“The telephone number of the fraudulent caller is 202-241-0697, which has been reported as being used in scams across the country,” the chief said. “A caller that claims to be with the IRS but threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don’t pay immediately, is a sign that it really is not the IRS calling.”
The fraud attempt follows several others leading up to tax day, when residents discovered that their personal information somehow had been obtained by someone who filed returns in their names.
Here’s the rest of the chief’s press release:
Generally, IRS contact with taxpayers on a federal tax issue is likely to occur via mail.
Residents should:
1. Never give personal information(dates of birth, social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, computer passwords, etc.) to unknown persons over the telephone or electronically.
2. Be suspicious of unsolicited telephone calls and/or e-mails.
3. Always check information that is provided by the caller to ensure it is accurate and legitimate.
4. Avoid conversations with unknown callers.
5. Never wire or send money in response to an unknown caller who makes an unexpected demand.
6. Contact the police department at 203-594-3500 for assistance.