MPD WARNS OF TELEPHONE SCAMS

Reports of telephone scams are being received with callers pretending to be the IRS, saying you owe thousands of dollars and that failure to pay will result in a lawsuit and/or a warrant being issued for your arrest.  Scammers demand funds be loaded onto a prepaid debit card, such as iTunes or Green Dot, then use the card number to withdraw the funds.  The IRS does not demand nor accept this type of payment.

Scammers are also claiming to be with Microsoft, or some other software company, and state that problems have been found with your computer.  Once you give the caller permission to check your computer remotely, your computer is hijacked and the caller demands payment before they will unlock your computer.

Scammers are very creative in how they falsify their identity.  Many times the scammer will alter their Caller ID to look like the IRS or some other legitimate business.  They may use your name, address, and other personal information to give the appearance that they are legitimate and earn your trust.  Scammers also spoof telephone numbers to mask the location from which they are calling. In many cases, scammers are outside of the United States which makes tracking and identifying them very difficult.

Citizens are encouraged to exercise caution when answering telephone calls from phone numbers they do not recognize.  Do not release any personal information or make a promise to send money until you have contacted the actual business and verified the legitimacy of the inquiry. 

Contact the Morristown Police Department at 423-585-2710 if you have any questions.