Sheriff's Office

For Immediate Release

PR #: 1500016
Date Issued: Jan 30, 2015 - 9:42am

Washoe County Sheriff's Office reminds residents to remain wary of tax scams now that tax season is here

CONTACT: Bob Harmon
Washoe County Sheriff's Office
Office 775-785-6235
Cell 775-722-5517

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office continues to receive calls reporting telephone scams involving aggressive and threatening calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents. This activity is expected to increase during the current 2015 filing season.

Because public awareness is one of the keys to prevention, the Sheriff's Office reminds residents to stay alert for telephone scams. Scammers commonly prey upon those that are most vulnerable, such as the elderly, newly arrived immigrants, and those whose first language is not English.

The following information provided by the Internal Revenue Service will help identify fraudulent calls. The Sheriff's Office urges residents to share this information with family, friends, associates and co-workers.

According to the IRS, there are five things that scammers often do, but the IRS will never do:

The IRS will NEVER:

  • Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill
  • Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe
  • Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card
  • Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone
  • Threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying

According to the IRS, fraudulent callers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS is calling and will identify themselves by using fake names and bogus IRS badge numbers.

The caller may sound convincing and know the victim's name, address, or other identifying information that is often easily obtainable through resources available to the public.

Anyone who receives a scam telephone call is encouraged by the IRS to report the incident to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov .

Additionally, they recommend contacting the Federal Trade Commission and using their ‘FTC Complaint Assistant' at www.FTC.gov . Be sure to include "IRS Telephone Scam" in the comments of the complaint.

For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type "scam" in the search box.


The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to preserving a safe and secure community with professionalism, respect, integrity and the highest commitment to equality. Sheriff Darin Balaam is the 27th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County since the Office was created in 1861. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office strives to ensure public safety by building trust and creating partnerships within the diverse communities in which we serve. We will promote the dignity of all people supported by our words and actions through open communication while fostering an environment of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect.

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