Kent Police warn residents about IRS scams

Published 2:25 pm Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Now that tax season is in full swing, the Kent Police Department wants to remind everyone that it is also a time when criminals try to impersonate IRS agents in order to steal your money.

The IRS website identifies the most common scams at irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts.

Several things the IRS will never do include:

• Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill

• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe

• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card

• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone

• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying