Help Your Customers with This Scam Alert Article by Stephen V. Smith, WordSouth
Something strange happened to me earlier this month. "Twilight Zone" strange. Call it coincidence or call it fate, it was downright
spooky — and made me want to share a free resource with you this month.
I had worked on an article about scams and robocalls for a utility magazine we produce, reporting on the latest efforts by the FCC to combat this annoying and potentially dangerous problem. Highlighted in the article was a particularly effective scam wherein the caller claims to be from the IRS and threatens the victim with legal action. A few days later, I checked my voicemail and there it was: a message from a man named "David" claiming to be an IRS agent, warning he was going to download an arrest order to my local sheriff’s office.
That’s just a little too weird.
Of course, I did not fall for the scam because I was informed. But how many people out there received the same call that week and were tricked into sending money? The only way to combat this terrible scam — which has robbed people of millions of dollars — is with information.
So this month, I want to offer you a free article you can share with your customers. Put it in your newsletter. Post it to your website. Include it in your bills. Share it on your social media channels. The further it goes, the more chances it will have to educate people and keep them from becoming a victim.
Toward the bottom there are two areas to customize with your company information.
We also developed a piece of art that can be used for social media posts. Email me at ssmith@wordsouth.com and I’ll send it to you and no charge as well. Let’s work together to spread the word and arm your customers with information to keep them from becoming victims.
Here is the article:
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SCAM ALERT — FAKE IRS PHONE CALLS
Consumers are receiving phone calls and robocalls from individuals claiming to be agents of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These bogus calls claim that citizens owe back taxes, threatening them with arrest if they do not pay immediately.
Victims have been robbed of millions of dollars since the scam began circulating four years ago, according to the IRS.
"Don't be fooled by callers pretending to be from the IRS in an attempt to steal your money," says IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "We continue to say if you are surprised to be hearing from us, then you're not hearing from us."
The scripts used in calls may vary, but the intent is the same. "The caller may threaten you with arrest or court action to trick you into making a payment," Koskinen says. "Some schemes may say you're entitled to a huge refund. These all add up to trouble. Some simple tips can help protect you."
According to the IRS website, there are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five demands is a tell-tale sign of a scam.
The IRS will never:
• Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
"We encourage our customers to be cautious when dealing with unsolicited calls," says NAME, COMPANY NAME TITLE. "This IRS scam is particularly alarming, because it scares people into giving money to these criminals who use the IRS name and the threat of arrest or other legal action as tools to scam unsuspecting citizens."
If you receive such a call, do not provide any personal information. Hang up the phone immediately.
Your Local Power Provider encourages its customers to discuss this threat with all their friends and family members, particularly the elderly, to help them avoid becoming a victim.
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Stephen V. Smith is President/CEO of WordSouth — A Content Marketing Company, serving electric and telecommunications providers since 1996. Stephen can be reached at ssmith@wordsouth.com.