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Tax Season: Beware of IRS Scammers

SCOTT TOWNSHIP — Many of you are getting your W-2 forms in the mail, so you can file your federal income tax returns. You might also receive a call from s...

SCOTT TOWNSHIP -- Many of you are getting your W-2 forms in the mail, so you can file your federal income tax returns.

You might also receive a call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent saying you owe back taxes.

The head enforcement officer for the IRS calls this scam an epidemic.

According to the agency, scammers stole almost $27 million from victims in the last two years, using a combination of technology and fear.

Marie Sonnenberg calls her home in Scott Township "the glass house," because she collects glass and porcelain keepsakes.

This month she collected phone calls from someone claiming to be a federal agent.

"I am calling you regarding an enforcement action executed by the U.S. Treasury," the recording said.

"The message on the answering machine is very intimidating," Sonnenberg said.

Which is why she thinks her elderly friends or others who take a lot of tax deductions might fall for this scam.

"There are some people who say, 'maybe they did do something wrong with their income tax,' and say, 'uh oh, I got nailed.''

Sonnenberg saved a week's worth of calls from men with foreign accents.

Sometimes, the scammers trip up.

"'My name is Dennis Quaid.'"

"Did he just say Dennis Quaid?"

"Dennis Quaid, yeah."

It's not the actor, but the tone of the calls worries Sonnenberg.

"You've got someone threatening you with the IRS.

"I've watched elected officials. I've watched former police officials at the highest level fall for these scams," said acting Hazleton Police Chief Jerry Speziale.

Chief Speziale is a former homeland security officer. He's seen the IRS scam grow through so-called spoofing technology.

Spoofing allows scammers in Africa, Asia, and eastern Europe to dial homes in our area, where caller ID reveals a phone number with a U.S. area code.

"When the caller calls back, they're now being forwarded through the computer to a foreign country, where someone's now answering the phone," Speziale explained.

The IRS says 5,000 Americans fell for this scam in the last two years.

Spoofing technology is easy to get and we used it to test Marie Sonnenberg in Scott Township. A call showed up as a 407 Orlando, Florida area code, even though it came from the 570 area code.

The U.S. Treasury Department says if you receive one of these calls, hang up.

The IRS sends letters to people who owe money. Its agents do not make phone calls.

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