A Manning woman received a phone call last week, notifying her that she was going to be arrested by the IRS, unless she paid her past due taxes.
Mary Clark noticed a message on her phone from a number with an out-of-state area code. When she called the number back, a man with a heavy Indian-sounding accent answered the phone. Clark decided to play along with the man to satisfy her suspicions.
The man on the other end of the phone said that he was from IRS and his name was Marshall. He proceeded to give Clark his badge number, which was IRS 24292.
Marshall told Clark that they were a legal firm, and that they had three legal cases against her. He further added that she was in violation of the IRS Rule and that they were recording the phone conversation.
Clark said that the man seemed suspicious and she wanted to “play along” to find out more.
“Marshall told me that, because of these three federal offenses, someone was going to show up at my place of business or my home to arrest me, unless I paid them,” she said.
Clark asked the man what she had to do to make this charge “go away.” Marshall said that he wanted to put her on a payment plan, then proceeded to ask her for her credit card information, among other questions.
“You don’t have to send any money, we will put you on a payment plan to take care of this,” he said.
“When was the last time you filed income taxes?” He asked.
After hanging up on “Marshall,” Clark called the number back on her caller ID and started to ask the lady who picked up questions about the company. The lady told her that they were the IRS and then passed the call to another man, the man then placed Clark’s call on an answering machine.
Clark did not share any of her information with “Marshall,” but she does want people to be aware of scam calls. She wants to share that we should not, under any circumstances, give out credit card or bank information. If you have already become a victim of a scam, please immediately call or visit your bank to let them know and to talk about reimbursing your money.
The IRS advises on its website that agents will never call citizens to receive payments. They will send letters through certified mail regarding any cases filed against those with open files.
The agency advises residents not to share personal information through phone calls or emails. Those receiving such solicitation should contact local police and file a report.
