Beware of an IRS phone call scam from a City of Batavia government phone number.
The Batavia Police Department posted on their Facebook page that someone from New York City informed city officials from Batavia they received several calls from a phone number and person claiming to be with the City of Batavia collecting for the IRS.
The scammer asked for funds to be transferred into an account within an hour to prevent arrest and/or additional charges.
The City of Batavia is not collecting funds for the IRS. The Batavia Police Department is advising citizens to not give out any personal information over the phone and to never transfer money to anyone unless the recipient is a trusted or known.
Below is a list of things that the IRS will not do, according to their website:
- 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.
If you don't owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do, the IRS says to:
- Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
- Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their "IRS Impersonating Scam Reporting" web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
- Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the "FTC Complaint Assistant" on FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.
If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax, call the IRS at 800-829-1040.
