New phone scam uses 'IRS' to scare people out of money

EPHRATA — Grant County deputies received several complaints last Thursday about fraudulent telephone calls in which the caller claims to be from the IRS.

According to Sheriff Tom Jones, the caller sounds like an electronic voice, or machine-generated, saying it’s from the IRS. It instructs the potential victim that he or she needs to call or contact the IRS because there is legal action being taken against them.

Deputies contacted the IRS, and it was explained that the IRS does not contact people in this way. The IRS contacts people via mail and establishes contact at one of their facilities, or will contact you face to face, and agents have the proper credentials to establish who they are.

“Remember,” Jones said. “Don’t provide any financial or personal information to any unsolicited phone calls from a person or business. Chances are it’s a scam.”