The Minot Police Department Crime Prevention Unit would like to remind area residents to be vigilant for the “IRS Scam”. The scammers have been calling victims while claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service. The caller then claims that the victim owes them money, and to avoid a lawsuit being filed must pay them money, usually with via a prepaid debit card by providing the scammer with the card information. Once the transfer is complete the funds are not likely to be recovered as they are actually being sent overseas. The Internal Revenue Service NEVER attempts to collect legitimate debts over the phone. They will always use written correspondence to initiate this type of action.
The Minot Police Department previously issued a warning regarding this scam, however, this reminder is being sent due to a sudden resurgence of calls reporting these false collection attempts. Both the Minot Police Department and the North Dakota Attorney General’s office are aware of this scam. The Minot Police Department encourages area residents to never give personal information over the phone to unknown parties and to verify all claims of callers demanding money BEFORE sending, wiring, or transferring any funds.
