Media Contact: Jerad Albracht, Senior Communications Specialist, 608-224-5007 or Bill Cosh, Communications Director, 608-224-5020
MADISON – Last Friday, DATCP issued a consumer alert after seeing an influx in reports from the public about fake IRS phone calls. Today alone, the Consumer Protection Hotline has received at least four times as many calls about this scam as on Friday.
The scammers are threatening arrest if the call recipient does not make an immediate payment for phony taxes. Many callers to the hotline are distressed by the aggressive nature of the scammers’ demands.
Please HANG UP on these fraudulent calls and take no further action with the caller. There is no truth to their claims and you are NOT at risk of arrest! The IRS will never call you and threaten arrest for back taxes.
If you or a loved one receives a similar call and needs guidance, call your local law enforcement’s non-emergency number or contact the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-422-7128 or datcphotline@wi.gov.
For more information about these fraudulent operations, review DATCP’s imposter scams fact sheet.
