Scam Claiming to be IRS Hits Idaho

NAMPA, Idaho (KTVB) -- The Nampa Police Department is asking people to be wary if they get a call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent.

It could be part of the latest scam to target thousands of people around the country. According to police, the caller says he works for the IRS and tells the victim they owe back taxes, and will be arrested if they do not pay up immediately. A Nampa resident who received such a call Wednesday told police the caller asked him him to pay $5,900 or face legal consequences.

The victim said he was instructed to withdraw the money from his bank account, then drive to a local store and purchase Green Dot Money Packs for $1,000 each. Luckily, the would-be victim called police instead. According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Treasure Valley residents are not the only ones scammers are trying to trick. Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George called the scam "the largest scam of its kind that we have ever seen" in a press release earlier this year, noting that more than 20,000 people had reported the fraudulent calls. Law enforcement officials remind citizens that a legitimate IRS agent will never call and demand money.

The IRS typically contacts people through the mail if they truly do have unpaid taxes. Similarly, police would never ask for money over the phone to avoid arrest. If you receive a similar scam call, report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 or your local police department. Anyone can find out if they owe federal taxes by calling the IRS at 800-829-1040.