FRANKLIN
The Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office in Franklin has been contacted by several residents stating that they have received a phone call from the Internal Revenue Service making threats of lawsuits, criminal investigations and arrests for delinquent payment of federal taxes.

Be advised that the callers may demand money, or may say that you have a refund due to trick you into sharing private information.

According to the IRS website, the con artists can sound convincing when they call and may know a lot about you. They even alter the caller ID to make it look as if the department were in fact calling. They use fake names and bogus identification badge numbers, and if you do not answer your phone, may leave an “urgent” callback request.

The IRS lists five things that scammers will often do, but the department will not. The IRS will never call to demand immediate payment, nor call about taxes owed without having first mailed a bill; demand that you pay taxes without giving 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.

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be with the IRS and you know that you owe or think you might owe taxes, call the department at 1-800-829-1040.

If you know that you do not owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484, or at www.tigta.gov.

It is important to remember that the IRS does not use unsolicited email, text messages or any form of social media to discuss your personal tax issue.