Recent phone scam

 

 

New Castle County Police are alerting 

residents about a recent phone scam

New Castle County Police Department NEWS RELEASE - "Crime Alert" Phone Scam

The New Castle County Police would like to warn citizens of a recent phone scam.

During this past weekend (9/27, 28), the New Castle County Police have received over 50 reports from residents stating they have received calls from a person with a strong accent, claiming to be a representative from the "Department of Treasury" and the "Internal Revenue Service." Victims reported the suspect stated they owed back taxes and advised them they would be arrested if they did not pay immediately.

The New Castle County Police is requesting citizens to report any suspicious telephone calls from people claiming to be a law enforcement officer or agent of the government. Citizens should know that law enforcement officials will not solicit money in lieu of an arrest.

Earlier this year, suspects involved in similar scams called victims stating there is a bench warrant for their arrest or that they had unpaid tickets. The victims were then instructed to purchase a pre-paid credit card such as NetSpend. The cards purchased by the victims are over $1,000.

For scams involving the IRS or claims of owed money for back taxes, citizens are encouraged to make a report to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at http://www.treasury.gov/tigta/ and click the link for "IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting." Citizens can also call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Anyone that has been a victim or that has provided their financial information to an individual over the phone can contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit by calling the Hotline at 1-800-220-5424 or emailing consumer.protection@state.de.us. Delawareans who suspect that they have provided their bank card information to a scammer should also immediately contact their financial institution.

Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to please contact the New Castle County Police Department at (302) 573-2800. You can also submit a tip anonymously by going to www.NCCPD.com and follow the link for "Tips and Alerts." You will be asked for a subject line, the location the tip applies to, and your tip information. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-333. Residents with the NCCPD Smartphone App are encouraged to use the "submit tip" tab to submit tips by selecting a topic using the "drop down" and complete the tip by "clicking" submit.