Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Highway 62 bypass — just get it done ... Cooking up some fun ... After six years, wilderness trail is open ... Our View: Highway 62 bypass — just get it done ... Cooking up some fun ... After six years, wilderness trail is open ... LOCAL CRIME IRS scammer uses spoofed agency number to appear legitimate Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 2, 2014 at 12:29 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 2, 2014 at 12:29 PM » Social News Police are warning of a spike in a lingering scam involving a bogus IRS agent who calls from what appears to be a number linked to the agency to demand money.  Medford police reported the scam has been ongoing but saw an apparent surge in frequency Wednesday, with 10 complaints in a 24-hour period.  "We've received dozens (of calls) over the last couple months," Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau said. The person who calls has a thick accent and claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service. The caller tells people they are late on their taxes and that they must pay up using a prepaid "Green Dot" Mastercard or Visa gift card. The caller also knows the victim's address and name and the apparent number of an IRS office shows up on the caller ID, police said. The issue with spoofed phone numbers is nothing new. Back in April, the Oregon Attorney General's Office warned of a similar sophisticated scam, complete with the fake number, fake IRS badge numbers and fake names. "People have done this before," Budreau said. Spoofed numbers have even hit close to home for law enforcement. In 2012, a scammer tricked a woman out of $6,000 by telling her she had won a sizable amount of money from the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, but  she would need to pay $6,000 in state taxes to collect the prize. When the woman became suspicious, the caller said a representative from Medford police would contact her to validate the call. They did call back, using a spoofed number and claiming to be Detective Sgt. Brent Mak, who investigates financial crimes for the agency. The ruse worked and the woman wired the money, Budreau said. Those who think they may owe taxes should call either the IRS at 800-829-1040 or the Oregon Department of Revenue at 800-356-4222, but should hang up if contacted. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil .   By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 2, 2014 at 12:29 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501