A new alert has been issued by the Craig Police Department about a tax scam that tells taxpayers they are eligible for tax refunds amounting to thousands of dollars because they have been “faithful taxpayers”. Police reports have been made by taxpayers who say they have been contacted by people who claim they are employees of the “Government Tax Refund Service,” or similar sounding titles that represent the IRS.
Potential victims are told that because they qualify as a “faithful taxpayer” they are entitled to receive a tax refund (usually amounting to thousands of dollars) but they have to pay a 10% service fee. These victims were then instructed to wire or pre-pay the fee into a “Green Dot” card prior to the transfer of monies.
In one police report lodged by a resident in Craig, Colorado, the scammer even introduced a second party who posed as a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent to make the whole ruse seem more genuine. Another Craig resident reported receiving checks and subsequently wired the 10% service fee to an account in Jamaica.
The public is warned against this and other such fraudulent schemes. The truth is that the IRS does not give refunds to anyone for faithfully paying taxes. Paying taxes is a legal duty of every citizen who is taxable and does not carry any reward. In addition, the IRS also does not call residents by phone.
The other thing to note is that the FBI never verifies the actions of the IRS. They are two separate government agencies with two distinct roles.
Finally, if you are told to send money to an account overseas, it is should raise a red flag as it is a sure sign of fraud.
If you have been contacted by a scammer, you should immediately inform the police in your area.
