PALMDALE \u2013 Palmdale Sheriff\u2019s detectives are warning the public about a national scam that has been targeting residents in the Antelope Valley.<\/p>\n
It starts with a phone call from a scammer pretending to be an employee of the Tax and Audit Department of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).<\/p>\n
Victims are told the IRS has a claim against them for foreign tax evasion and they must pay immediately through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. Victims who refuse to cooperate are threatened with arrest or deportation. In some cases, the caller becomes hostile and offensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe ask the public to be extremely careful if you receive a phone call asking for any type of payment over the phone,\u201d stated Palmdale Community Relations Deputy Jodi Wolfe. \u201cAccording to the IRS website, IRS employees \u2018will not ask for credit cards numbers over the phone nor request a pre-paid debit or wire transfer.\u2019 If you have any hesitation, questions or concerns, hang up the phone and call the IRS directly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Below are tips from the IRS website on what you should do if you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS:<\/p>\n