Police warn residents of phone solicitation scams

NEGAUNEE — The Michigan State Police Negaunee Post wants residents to be aware of phone solicitation scams.

The scammers usually give the victim a sense of urgency, pretending to be an official of a legitimate organization to fool the victim into providing sensitive information. There have been reports of callers threatening to arrest you if you don’t pay now.

One recurring scam involves callers posing as members of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) claiming you owe unpaid taxes. The scammers may even call a second time posing as a member of law enforcement, threatening to arrest you if you don’t send money.

If you receive a call like this, hang up. The IRS does not call to request payments over the phone. Do not give out personal information, especially your Social Security number or bank account number. Do not respond to unsolicited emails from unknown senders.

Always confirm the identity of a contact by speaking with an identified source, like your bank, credit card company or government agency. Ask for a call-back name and number and use a reliable source to confirm the phone number or email.

To report an IRS scam, call (800) 366-4484 or click HERE.