The Davis Police Department is warning the public about a phone scam with a new twist, in which the callers impersonate both the Internal Revenue Service and local authorities, threatening the potential victim with arrest.
An East Davis resident reported being called at about 1:30 p.m. Friday by someone claiming to be an IRS agent, demanding that the victim pay money in order to avoid arrest, according to Davis police reports.
The victim hung up the phone, but soon received another three calls from someone claiming to be from the Davis Police Department, saying they would come to the resident’s home and arrest her if she didn’t comply with the IRS demands.
The victim’s caller ID feature even showed the Police Department’s business number, 530-747-5400, which police say was “spoofed” to make the call appear legitimate.
“As these scams become more sophisticated, we encourage people to be aware and stay extremely skeptical of any phone calls demanding money,” Davis police said in an alert issued Friday about the scam. “The Davis Police Department is not a collection agency and does not collect fines or money owed to the IRS.”
Anyone receiving a suspicious call from someone claiming to be a police official is urged to obtain a name and badge number, then hang up and call the Police Department’s business number to confirm his or her identity.
Also, never give out any personal information unless you’re sure you are speaking to an actual police officer who needs information for an investigation.