Farmington Hills Police Warn About "IRS" Telephone Scam

If you get a call from an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent demanding immediate payment of taxes with a Green Dot cash card, you may want to contact the Farmington Hills Police Department.

The department recently issued an advisory about telephone scams that involve an IRS “agent” telling victims they owe money to the IRS. According to a Nixle.com alert, the “agent” demands the money be promptly paid by purchasing and sending Green Dot cards. If the victim refuses, the “agent” threatens to call the police or pursue further legal action. 

According to the alert, the IRS encourages anyone who receives these calls to do the following:

If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. 

If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes, call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General at 1-800-366-4484 and Farmington Hills Police, 248-871-2610. 

For more information on the “IRS Telephone Scam”, visit irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Warns-of-Pervasive-Telephone-Scam. 

In addition, police say residents should never give personal identifying information to anyone without first verifying the source. Legitimate callers should know social security numbers, account numbers and PIN codes. If you're unsure about a phone call or email you've received, call the police department command desk, 248-871-2610.