ATTORNEY GENERAL ALERT: Flood of Fake Tax Calls Targets NC Consumers

Scammers posing as US Treasury officials are calling North Carolinians and demanding that you pay taxes right away or face a lawsuit or arrest. More than 500 consumers have reported these fraudulent calls to our office in the past week, with many of the reports coming from eastern North Carolina.

We’ve warned you about phony tax collector calls before. In the most recent version, the caller usually identifies himself as Steve Martin or David Gray, and many of the calls reported appear to come from the same number:  843-492-4165. The calls often begin with a pre-recorded message that you’re asked to return. Sometimes the caller says there’s an issue with your pension, and other times he says an action has been filed against you by the US Treasury.

Anyone who calls to demand immediate payment for taxes is trying to rip you off. If you get a call like this, remember:

• Government agencies will not threaten arrest if you don’t pay taxes or fines immediately.
• Real government employees will never demand immediate payment by credit card, bank account draft, pre-paid debit card or wire transfer.
• Caller ID can be manipulated to make it appear the scammers are calling from the real IRS or a local number, even if they’re located halfway around the world.
• Never share personal information such as your Social Security Number or bank account number with anyone you don’t know who contacts you, even if they claim to work with a government agency.

If you have been contacted by a phone scammer, report it to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or by filing a complaint online at ncdoj.gov.

By the NCDOJ