ARLINGTON, Va. – The Arlington County Police Department is warning the public about an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) telephone scam targeting County residents.

Citizens have reported receiving unsolicited phone calls from individuals fraudulently claiming to be members of the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office or the Internal Revenue Service. These individuals accuse the victims of owing money to the IRS which must be paid immediately using iTunes gift cards, or other means. The caller remains on the line while the victim purchases the payment and provides the card number over the phone.

In some cases, scammers have deliberately falsified the information transmitted to the victim’s Caller ID display to disguise their identity as the non-emergency police line. Citizens should not rely on their Caller ID to verify the credibility of the call.  Never give out personal information in response to unsolicited calls or if you are at all suspicious.

If you receive a call of this nature, immediately hang up with the caller and verify the claim by calling the non-emergency police line at 703.558.2222. Never use a phone number provided to you from the caller to verify their credibility.

After making a verification call, if you find that you were a victim of a scam or were a target, please file an online police report at http://police.arlingtonva.us/online-police-reporting-system/or call the non-emergency police line at 703.558.2222. You may also report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484.

Citizens are reminded that their first contact with IRS will not be a call from out of the blue, but through official correspondence sent through the mail. Subjects will use a variety of different phone scams and the Arlington County Police Department wants the public to remain alert so you don’t become a victim. Individuals seeking more information about fraud can contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit at FinancialCrimes@arlingtonva.us.

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