IRS warns of more scams in Rochester area

 
The Rochester office of the IRS has received several reports of a scam that was first publicized last October.

In this scam, the thief poses as the IRS and makes an unsolicited call to their target. The caller tells the victim they owe taxes to the IRS. They demand that the victim pay the money immediately with a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. The caller often threatens the victim with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile.

The IRS says it is the largest scam of its kind. As of March 20, the agency had received reports of over 20,000 contacts related to this scam. Thousands of victims have conned out of more than $1 million so far.