With the federal and state tax filing deadline two weeks away, consumer calls into the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office report a significant uptick in the frequency and aggressiveness of IRS scam phone calls. Consumers report receiving multiple phone calls per day, with most calls threatening immediate arrest for failure to make a payment for allegedly owed taxes.
"I think most, if not all, Rhode Islanders know this is a scam, but with these increasingly aggressive scare tactics, especially as we get closer to the filing deadline, I am concerned that vulnerable groups – including new taxpayers and older residents - will feel pressured into paying these scammers," said Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. "I implore everyone with older parents, children, relatives, and neighbors to have a conversation on how to spot this scam and what to do when these phone calls are received." To learn more, click here.
