Several McHenry County residents have reported this week to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office that they received telephone calls from a caller claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The caller claims the person receiving the call is subject to legal action regarding their taxes by either arrest or by a lawsuit.
Calls of this nature are fictitious and are part of the IRS scam. Residents should not respond to such calls, emails, or text messages they may receive. The IRS is aware of such criminal activity, and has issued a warning against scams like this. Often fake local phone numbers or phone numbers labeled “IRS” appear on resident’s caller ID; this scam technique is called “spoofing”.
If you feel you have been the victim of a scam, we encourage you to contact your local police department and file a report as soon as possible.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office also encourages you to contact your friends and family who may not have received informational warnings such as this, and caution them about releasing any personal or financial information to anyone they are not certain should have it.
More information is available on the IRS website at:
https://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Warns-of-Continued-Scams-and-Varied-Tactics-as-the-Tax-Deadline-Nears
SCAM PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITY:
On Friday, May 20, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. the Sheriff’s Office will be presenting on scams similar to this at Senior Services, 110 W Woodstock St # B, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. All residents are welcome to attend, please RSVP with Claudia at (815) 356-7457.
