GAINESVILLE — Hall County authorities say there's been a resurgence of phone calls from scammers posing as IRS agents.
The Hall County Sheriff's Office posted an alert on its Facebook page saying it had received six reports of the scam calls last week alone.
In the post, authorities reminded residents the IRS never demands payment for back taxes via phone.
"Please note that the IRS will NEVER: 1) call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; 2) demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; 3) require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; 4) ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or 5) threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying," read the statement in part.
The post also said the caller sometimes gets hostile with potential victims, trying to pressure them into buying pre-paid debit cards to pay their bogus debt.
Officers remind Hall County citizens to ignore calls from unfamiliar numbers, or if they do fall victim to the scam, to call law enforcement right away. The non-emergency dispatch line is 770-536-8812. Questions about a suspicious call or a potential scam can go to HCSO Community Service Officers at 770-533-7659.
