IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Officials are warning Iowa City residents to beware of a phone scam involving people claiming to be IRS agents.
City officials say the impersonators are calling residents and demanding they pay taxes they don’t owe. The callers have threatened jail time, deportation and other consequences.
The callers use several methods to convince residents they are from the IRS. That includes using a program that makes the IRS’s toll-free number appear on caller identification devices. Residents who hang up may receive another call soon from a person claiming to be a police officer or other official.
Officials say the IRS will never ask for payments via wire transfer or a prepaid card. They also typically alert individuals of unpaid taxes by mail, not phone.
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