The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of a phone scam which has hit our area. Citizens have received phone calls from individuals who claim to be with the Internal Revenue Service. These individual demand immediate payment on previous years owed taxes to avoid legal action or a substantial fine.

Over the past several years, similar scams have been reported around the country and have cost taxpayers millions of dollars. According to the IRS, a taxpayer’s first contact with the IRS will be through official correspondence sent through the mail, not from an unsolicited phone call. Also the IRS will never request immediate payment over the phone or insist on a specific payment method.

Additional information on phone scams or how to report a scam can be found on the IRS website. Go to www.irs.gov and type scam in the search box.