Hays Police Department

Be advised local citizens are receiving scam phone calls where the perpetrator claims to be an employee for the IRS. The caller may claim there is a warrant for your arrest or threaten people with a lawsuit. Do not give out any of your personal information over the phone, and do not send them money. Below is some information from the IRS on these scams.

Telephone Scams. Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain an ongoing threat. The IRS has seen a surge of these phone scams in recent years as scam artists threaten taxpayers with police arrest, deportation, license revocation and more. These con artists often demand payment of back taxes on a prepaid debit card or by immediate wire transfer. Be alert to con artists impersonating IRS agents and demanding payment.

Note that the IRS will never:
•  Call to demand immediate payment over the phone or call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
• 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 or threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.