The Manchester Township Police Department recently became aware of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) phone scam that has been reportedly taking place throughout the United States. The purpose of this release is to educate the public about the scam to prevent people from becoming victims.
The way the scam works is that criminal entities contact residents via telephone claiming to be IRS employees or claiming to be working as agents on behalf of the IRS. During these phone calls the scammers attempt to obtain money and or personal information from residents by attempting to frighten people with threats of law suits and or criminal arrests/warrants.
Please be advised that THE IRS DOES NOT CONTACT PEOPLE BY PHONE. The IRS will send correspondence via certified mail with a green receipt card. If you have any questions about your personal taxes and they were prepared for you by an accountant or certified tax professional, contact them directly.
There is no need for Manchester Township residents to notify the Manchester Police Department about having received a phone call from a suspected scammer unless the resident provided them with their personal information (Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Bank account info, etc.) and or money. In these cases, a police report may be helpful in repairing an individual’s credit, and or obtaining a new SSN.
Please be advised that Federal, and State and Local law enforcement agencies are aware of the above scam.
You may also contact the IRS directly for questions or to report scams at 1-800-366-4484 or the following local offices: 732-660-0063 (Freehold Office) or at 609-989-0533 (Trenton Office). Again, it is best to report scams to the IRS directly as they have their own law enforcement component to investigate these scam calls which originate mostly out of the country.
Reminder: DO NOT answer any calls that have a phone number that is unfamiliar to you. NEVER give ANY personal information over the phone.