New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman recently issued a consumer alert about “imposter” phone scams.
The callers pose as representatives from the attorney general’s office, IRS, or as court officers, according to a news release from Schneiderman’s office.
The scammers commonly target senior citizens, students, and first-generation Americans. Consumers should not respond to these calls or letters, and should not give the callers their Social Security number, bank account information, or other sensitive personal identifying information, according to the release.
The phony attorney general’s office calls often come from the phone number (347) 809-6947 or a phone number with a 646 area code. In the calls and voicemails, consumers are told that money is owed and the issue must be resolved immediately. Some consumers received phony debt-collection notices through email with a PDF attachment purporting to show the “New York State Attorney General” letterhead, according to the release.
The letters threaten criminal action and arrest if the debts are not paid. Legitimate letters identify the debt collection agency, the amount of the debt, the name of the original creditor, and provide a consumer with an opportunity to dispute the debt, according to the release.
Phony jury-duty callers typically identify themselves as court officers, claiming the that consumers will face a fine for failing to show up for jury duty, according to the attorney general’s office. They threaten consumers that unless an immediate credit-card payment is made including personal information, the police will arrest them at their house. Consumers should contact their local county clerk if they think they missed a jury-duty summons.
Phony IRS callers claim to be agents or police officers collecting a tax balance that is owed. The callers tell consumers that unless the debt is paid immediately, police officers will arrest them at their house or that a warrant has been issued for their arrest. Consumers may also be threatened with deportation, driver’s-license revocation, or receive several “urgent” messages that become increasingly threatening or insulting, according to the attorney general.
The callers may use caller ID spoofing to display “Internal Revenue Service” on a caller ID box or the IRS phone number, according to the release. They may request that the “IRS Tax Warrant” be paid with a Green Dot Card Money Card, PayPal Prepaid MasterCard, or Western Union MoneyGram.
Legitimate government organizations will not threaten arrest or deportation for failure to pay a debt or insist that consumers pay a debt only with a pre-paid credit card, according to the release.
Consumers are encouraged to file complaints by visiting www.ag.ny.gov or calling (800) 771-7755.
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