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IRS Scam Targeting Arkansas Residents

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Posted on Wednesday, December 16th, 2015 at 9:49 pm    

Although various financial scams take place every day across the country, it may be a surprise to learn that convincing IRS scams are happening very close to home. Numerous individuals in Sebastian County and surrounding areas have been victims of a scam in which an unidentified individual calls their phones claiming that they owe thousands of dollars to the IRS.

Bill Kirkwood and his wife, for example, were told that they owed $3,400 and that a warrant was out for Kirkwood’s arrest. Kirkwood immediately contacted the police for more information, who informed him that this was a scam. The police department then called the number back, and a man on the other line claimed to be a part of a criminal investigation unit but hung up when law enforcement asked more questions.

According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), there have been as many as 600,000 reports of contact since October of 2013. Of these 600,000 contacts, roughly 4,000 people have reported financial losses connected to tax scams, with losses totaling more than $20 million.

Police are warning individuals who receive a similar kind of phone call to immediately hang up and to not give out any credit card or bank information. Further reported incidents are being forwarded to the FBI.

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