Clearwater, Fla. (970 WFLA)-The phone calls keep coming in at the Clearwater Police Department. Most of those dialing want to know if they're in trouble after receiving a call from the federal tax collector. Some want the police to make the calls stop.
Over the last several days fifty people have punched the police number, some explaining to detectives, the caller id number looked familiar, and they couldn't resist the call.
After accepting, each hear the same threatening greeting from a recorded female voice that says, in no uncertain terms, the IRS has a problem with you.
The caller with the robot sounding voice appears to be from the 518 area code and says you owe the IRS money and will be carried off to jail unless you call another number and make arrangements to pay money.
Clearwater Police detectives want you to know that the Internal Revenue Service will not call you and ask for money and threaten to throw you in jail.
Do not call the number the recorded voice gives you or press anything, except to end the call. Never give any personal information, or any kind of information, to any one who calls you, and do not give them any kind of money whatsoever, in any form!
If you don't recognize a telephone number, the best advice from detectives is not to answer it!
If you do answer the phone and you think it's a scam, simply hang up and call the Clearwater Police Department fraud hotline at 727-562-4424.