{"id":68087,"date":"2015-09-19T07:39:17","date_gmt":"2015-09-19T12:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=68087"},"modified":"2015-09-19T07:39:17","modified_gmt":"2015-09-19T12:39:17","slug":"ohio-a-gs-office-warns-about-tax-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2015\/09\/19\/ohio-a-gs-office-warns-about-tax-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio A-G’s office warns about tax scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ohio Attorney General’s information<\/em><\/p>\n

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine warned that his office has received more than 600 reports of tax-related scams since September 1.<\/p>\n

The scams generally begin with a phone call telling consumers they are in trouble with the IRS and must call an out-of-state number for more information. Eventually consumers are asked for money.<\/p>\n

\"Attorney<\/a>
Attorney General Mike DeWine<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In one recent variation of the scam, a consumer receives a call from a \u201cSteve Martin,\u201d who claims to work for the U.S. Treasury Department.\u00a0He says the consumer is facing federal charges and must call a specific phone number, often one with a 757 or 540 area code (Virginia).\u00a0In another variation, a recorded message\u00a0warns the consumer that this is the \u201cfinal notice from the IRS\u201d before a lawsuit will be filed.<\/p>\n

Consumers who respond to the calls are instructed to send hundreds of dollars using money transfers or prepaid cards, which are commonly found at grocery or convenience stores. While most consumers do not send any money, a few have reported losing hundreds or thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n

\u201cCon artists rely on people becoming so nervous that they send money right away,\u201d Attorney General DeWine said. \u201cIf you receive one of these calls, don\u2019t respond and don\u2019t send any money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tips for consumers to avoid tax-related phone scams include:<\/p>\n