Police Warn the Public About IRS Scam

The Hawai’i Police Department is warning the public about an IRS scam that is circulating.

Authorities say members of the public have reported that they received a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS. The individual threatens a government lawsuit as a result of a large sum of money being owed to the IRS.

The potential victims are instructed to go to the bank and withdraw a large sum of money. One individual who received the call said the called claimed they would go to the house and collect the money.

HPD urges the public to follow instructions found on the official IRS website if they receive a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS.

The instruction are as follows:

• Record the employee’s name, badge number, call back number, and caller ID if available.
• Call 1-800-366-4484 to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you.
• If the person calling you is an IRS employee, call them back.
• If not, report the incident to TIGTA and to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov (Subject: ‘IRS Phone Scam’)

To learn more about phishing and online IRS scams, visit the IRS website.