IRS phone scam brought to attention

To The Eagle:

The latest phone scam is alive and well in Wahkiakum County. The caller will state that the reason of this call is to inform you that IRS is filing a lawsuit against you. The IRS will not call you. The "Department" phone number they want you to call is 719-387-0327. This area code is from Colorado, but the call most likely is generated somewhere else.

People will note that the grammar used is awkward, indicating someone not familiar with American syntax. The IRS is asking that you use the TIGTA's IRS Impersonation Reporting web page to report the incident (treasury.gov). You should also report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the FTC Complaint Assistant on FTC.gov. Please add IRS Telephone Scam to the comments in your report.

If you get a phishing email, the IRS offers this advice: Don't reply to the email. Forward the email to phishing@irs.gov. These emails have been known to carry malicious codes that will infect your computer. Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure.

The Treasury Dept. has identified over 5,500 victims who have collectively paid approximately $29 million as a result of this scam. These scam artists used to be able to claim a victim every 40-50 calls, now they must make 300-400 attempts to claim a victim. One method to help stop this abuse is to publish the phone numbers and use the media to alert the public.

Suzanne Holmes

Wahkiakum Health and Human Services