JACKSON, Miss.–If you get a call from a 202 area code (Washington, D.C.) and they claim to be from the IRS, don’t fall for their trick. It’s the latest in a series of scams where the crooks try to get you to give them your money with a Money Gram card.
“Just a form of payment of a Money Gram card, it’s like wiring money. Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” said Better Business Bureau of Mississippi CEO John O’Hara.
He said the scammers have been calling and saying you messed up your tax return and you now have just 45 minutes to pay up or they’re sending the law after you. O’Hara said the IRS does not do business that way.
“You would get a letter and you would get several warnings. They would not pick up the phone and call you.”
He said you also need to be on the lookout for similar scams involving your light bill, especially in the really hot days where the scammers may feel like they can put you over a barrel.
O’Hara said another scam has been going on specifically in Rankin County where the caller claims to be from the sheriff’s department. They say that you missed jury duty and that if you don’t pay the fine by phone, they’re coming to pick you up.
Never fall for it and give out your info or payments over the phone if you don’t know who it is.
If you need to report a scam or check out a caller, log on to this website: http://www.bbb.org/mississippi/
