TOPEKA -The Kansas State Treasurer has issued a warning of a new phone scam.

On their facebook page Tuesday, the state treasurer’s office said they had been notified of suspicious phone calls in Kansas using the number for the Unclaimed Property Division on caller ID to make it appear that the state or Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is calling to request taxes.

The automated phone calls claim to be part of the IRS and state that individuals still owe taxes. The recording then directs callers to select a preferred payment plan.

Please be vigilant against these phone and email scams that use the IRS or Kansas state agencies as a lure and avoid responding.

Kansans who receive suspicious phone calls claiming to be from the IRS can call and report them to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.

“If you ever question the validity of any correspondence or phone calls related to the State Treasurer’s Office, please don’t hesitate to contact our office for verification. We take great pride in the integrity of our program and work hard to ensure safeguards are in place to protect personal information and unclaimed property belonging to Kansans.” said Kansas State Treasurer Ron Estes