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Forsyth residents warned of IRS phone scam
scam

FORSYTH COUNTY — A caller identifying himself as an official says you can make a payment to avoid arrest for something.

The basic backbone of the scam remains, while the exact scenario changes, but people have fallen victim to this type of theft before.

A recent scam trend in Forsyth County has been asking residents to pay a fee to the IRS for tax fraud or for late notice to avoid arrest.

One person who called the Forsyth County News shared details of a recent incident. She said a caller said he was with the IRS and would be sending the police to her house to arrest her unless she went to the store to buy a green dot card, which is a form of money order that provides an easy way to transfer funds.

She did not fall for the trick, as the caller hung up as soon as she questioned him.

But others may not be so fortunate. All they need to do is provide a small amount of information to these tricksters, for example a Social Security or bank account number.

Other recent scams have involved jury duty and asking for bond money for a family member.

“Anytime something does not seem right, we encourage people to contact us because there are many different versions of these scams,” said Robin Regan, a spokesman for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

The IRS — or any other official or governmental agency — should never ask for personal information over the phone.

People who receive these calls are encouraged to hang up and report the phone number to police.