Submitted by the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office
Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian today issued a reminder to residents to be aware of ongoing IRS and jury duty scams. Sheriff Koutoujian was among those targeted by scammers.
“We are issuing this reminder because we have seen an uptick in calls being reported to our office over the past several days. We want residents to be aware of these scams in order to better protect themselves,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “Recently, both my mother and I personally received IRS scam calls and though we each recognized they were not legitimate and immediately hung up – not all do because many of these perpetrators can be extremely convincing.”
In addition to the IRS scam calls, the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office has received calls from local residents reporting they have been contacted and threatened with a warrant for their arrest for failing to perform jury duty. The callers tell the victims, they can avoid arrest if they immediately pay a fine or fee. In one case a resident reported losing approximately $1,000 to the scammers.
In all of the cases, the perpetrators – either via an automated message or live human being – have threatened arrest. In some, they have indicated individuals are being monitored in some form or fashion (IRS scam call voicemail).
“At no time will a legitimate IRS agent or law enforcement official ever demand immediate payment or threaten arrest over the phone,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “These are telltale signs of a scam and we want residents to be alert to them so they can properly protect themselves.”
Anyone who may have received similar calls is encouraged to report them to their local police department and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Unit at 978-932-3292. Individuals with questions regarding jury duty can contact the Office of Jury Commissioner at 1-800-843-5879.
Individuals or businesses receiving IRS scam calls may also report them to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) through its IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting web page. All financial losses should also be immediately reported to your local police department.
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